English actress Kate Beckinsale (full nameCatherine Bailey Beckinsale) was born in London on July 26, 1973, in a family of professional actors: her father is a famous film actor Richard Beckinsale, her mother is stage actress Judy Law. Richard Beckinsale died in 1979 of a heart attack at the age of 31, and the girl stayed with her mother and older sister Samantha. They lived together, Judy drove daughters and at rehearsals, and at the performances in which she participated. Perhaps the theatrical atmosphere influenced the girls. Returning home, they arranged their own improvised performances and stage dances. Mother sometimes sent daughters, and sometimes she herself took part in their projects.
The girl grew up clever and surprised in childhoodsurrounding their artistry. And when she grew up, she began to win one competition after another, competing with her peers in writing short stories, literary sketches and all sorts of essays on a free theme. The gifted Kate Beckinsale, whose biography has already opened her first page, matured early on, was not a serious and thoughtful girl over the years. After graduating from school in London, she decided to continue the family tradition and become an actress. The future movie star Kate Beckinsale, whose height, weight, and figure parameters could serve as a benchmark for feminine beauty, visited several casting agencies and left her portfolio there.
Beautiful appearance and chiseled figure made theirbusiness, and soon the girl made a debut film. She played a young Alice Meir in the film director John Davis "Devices and Desires." It was a mini-series, but for Kate, her first attempt was a real event. The film was screened in 1991, and the young actress Beckinsale went to the nearest cinema several times to see herself. The girl was happy, before her opened up the boundless world of American cinema, and she was preparing to conquer it.
Then Kate Beckinsale, whose filmographyalready contained one picture, she starred in the television film "Alone Against the Wind," directed by Larry Elaykann, where she played Barbara Lindell, a small supporting role. This was followed by the role of Rachel, a social activist in a short film directed by Vivian Albertin called "The Dream of Rachel". The following year, 1993, the actress played in the next television movie, it was a picture of the director Colin Baksi "Anna Lee". The character of the girl Ti Khan was simple and the actress coped with the task easily. Then for Kate began a strip of films of large cinema. She liked the specifics of filming these full-length films, the friendly atmosphere prevailing on the set, the goodwill of partners and the director. Filming usually lasted until late, but the young and tireless Beckinsale was in no hurry to go home, she wanted to play in all the episodes that were in the script.
Back in late 1992, Beckinsale set aboutlearning the role of Hero, the character of the film "Much Ado About Nothing," based on the play by William Shakespeare. The production was directed by Kenneth Branagh, he also played a major role - the inveterate bachelor Benedict. The picture was released in May 1993 and did not produce a furore. Kate, in addition to film projects, participated in television series and various shows, in a word, did not sit idle. She also occasionally went to the theater stage to observe the traditions of the family and to get pleasure from communicating with the live audience in the hall.
After Shakespeare's play, actress Kate Beckinsaleco-starred in several film projects, but she only got a serious role in 1999 - in the dramatic film "The Destroyed Palace" directed by Jonathan Kaplan. Kate played Darlene Davis, who was imprisoned because of drugs. The whole picture, from beginning to end, is permeated with deep feelings, however, the rental was modest in terms of attendance, and therefore the box office was also mediocre. The next movie with Beckinsale in the title role, entitled “The Golden Bowl,” directed by James Ivory, failed altogether. With a budget of 15 million dollars in rent it was possible to collect only about 6 million. The financial collapse always hits the leading roles and the director. It happened this time.
But the following films with Kate Beckinsalefully rehabilitated the actress for the failure of the Golden Cup. First of all, it was the movie “Pearl Harbor” directed by Michael Bay, where Kate played Evelyn, a nurse, in which two military pilots were in love. The picture was a success and record box office. The film received 15 prizes and nominations, including the Oscar and the Golden Globe. However, in the nomination was included anything except the creators of the movie. Neither the director nor the actors received nominations, all prizes were distributed between sound and visual effects and other technical achievements.
In 2001, the Miramax Films studio beganproduction of the movie "Intuition" directed by Peter Chelsom. Beckinsale played Sarah Thomas, the main character, and her partner was John Cusack. In the center of the plot is the casual acquaintance of two young people who could not have continued. Sarah and Jonathan spent a few hours together and broke up. Then Kate Beckinsale, whose filmography was quickly replenished, played a major role in the film “Laurel Canyon,” directed by Peter Chelsom. Her partner was Christian Bale, a Hollywood star, an American actor of English origin, known for his superfam "Batman."
The year 2003 was the beginning of a grand film project.Underworld, which includes a whole series of horror films about vampires and werewolves. Lena Wiseman's film series has something in common with the acclaimed Twilight, and it has about the same production scheme. Beckinsale was busy starring throughout the series, she played Celine, the main character. Celine carried death, and moreover, she in every way cultivated death, made it, as they do some products, systematically and irrevocably. Underworld consists of four parts: Underworld (2003), Underworld. Evolution (2006), Underworld. Rise of the Lycans (2009) and Underworld. Awakening (2012).
The following year, Beckinsale played a majorthe female role in the fantasy film "Van Helsing" directed by Stephen Sommers. Her character, Anna Valerius, is a gypsy princess, designed to destroy Count Dracula. And finally, in 2004, Kate Beckinsale, whose height (170 cm) almost became an obstacle to obtaining the desired role, appeared in the wonderful biographical film “Aviator”, directed by Martin Scorsese. Character Kate - megastar Hollywood Ava Gardner, a woman "with the face of an angel and the body of the goddess." The main character, the millionaire Howard Hughes, was played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Kate Beckinsale, whose weight did not significantly reach the build of Ava Gardner, had to gain about ten kilograms to get the cherished role. She coped with this task, as with the role itself. The film was a resounding success and was marked by a record number of prizes and nominations: 5 Oscars, 3 Golden Globes, 4 BAFTA awards - and this is not a complete list.
Kate Beckinsale, whose filmography already containsabout 40 pictures, hopes to play more in many film projects. This list includes films with the participation of the actress in the period from 1995 to 2012:
Personal life of the popular actress Kate Beckinsalecan not be called stormy. The only man with whom the actress met was English actor Michael Sheen, who has a rare role - he plays political figures, in particular, played by Tony Blair, Prime Minister of Great Britain of previous years, in the films Special Relationships, Deal and Queen. . In the movie "Frost vs. Nixon," Michael played David Frost, and Brian Clough - in the movie "Damned United."
The meetings of Kate and Michael were temporary,although it lasted long enough. It is not known what prospect awaited the young people, what plans they had built, but on January 31, 1999, Kate Beckinsale gave birth to a daughter very similar to Michael Sheen. The girl was named Lily Mo Shin. Baby even played her mother in childhood, when Kate starred in the role of Celine in the movie “Underworld”, because vampires also have childhood.
Beckinsale broke up with Michael in 2003 and immediately became engaged to director Len Wiseman, director of the Other World. A year later, the couple registered a marriage in Los Angeles.
