Kate Beckinsale (Kate Beckinsale): biography and filmography of the actress

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

English actress Kate Beckinsale (full name Katherine 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 theater actress Judy Lo. Richard Beckinsale died in 1979 of a heart attack at the age of 31, and the girl was left with her mother and older sister Samantha. They lived together, Judy took her daughters both to rehearsals and to performances in which she participated. Perhaps the theatrical atmosphere influenced the girls. Returning home, they staged their own impromptu performances and mise-en-scenes. The mother sometimes guided her daughters, and sometimes she herself took part in their undertakings.

Choice of profession

The girl grew up smart and as a child surprised those around her with her 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 kinds of essays on a free theme. The gifted Kate Beckinsale, whose biography has already opened its first page, earlymatured, was beyond her years a serious and thoughtful girl. 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 body measurements could serve as a model of female beauty, visited several casting agencies and left her portfolio there.

Film debut

Beautiful appearance and chiseled figure did their job, and soon the girl made her film debut. She played the young Alice Meir in the John Davies film Arrangements and Desires. It was a mini-series, but for Kate, her first audition was a real event. The film was released in 1991, and the young actress Beckinsale went several times to the nearest cinema to see herself. The girl was happy, the boundless world of American cinema opened before her, and she was preparing to conquer it.

TV series

Then, Kate Beckinsale, whose filmography already contained one picture, starred in the television film "One Against the Wind" directed by Larry Elycann, 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 "Rachel's Dream". The following year, 1993, the actress played in the next TV movie, it was the film directed by Colin Bucksey "Anna Lee". The character of the girl Ti Khan was uncomplicated, and the actress easily coped with the task. Then, for Kate, a streak of big cinema films began. HerI liked the specifics of filming real feature films, the friendly atmosphere prevailing on the set, the goodwill of the partners and the director. Shooting usually continued until late, but the young and tireless Beckinsale was in no hurry to go home, she wanted to star in all the episodes that were in the script.

Shakespeare

Even at the end of 1992, Beckinsale began learning the role of Gero, the character in the film "Much Ado About Nothing" based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare. The production was directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also played the main role - the inveterate bachelor Benedict. The picture was released in May 1993 and did not make a splash. Kate, in addition to film projects, participated in television series and various shows, in a word, did not sit idle. She also took to the theater stage from time to time to honor family traditions and enjoy interacting with the live audience seated in the hall.

Failure

After Shakespeare's play, actress Kate Beckinsale starred in several more film projects, but she got a serious role only in 1999 - in the drama film "The Ruined Palace" directed by Jonathan Kaplan. Kate played Darlene Davis, who went to prison because of drugs. The whole picture, from beginning to end, is riddled with deep feelings, but the rental was modest in terms of attendance, which means that the box office was also mediocre. The next film with Beckinsale in the lead role, called The Golden Cup, directed by James Ivory, completely failed. With a budget of15 million dollars at the box office managed to collect only about 6 million. Financial collapse always hits the leading actors and the director. So it happened this time.

Film and awards

But the following films with Kate Beckinsale fully 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 with whom two military pilots were in love. The picture was waiting for success and record box office. The film received 15 prizes and nominations, including Oscar and Golden Globe. However, anything was included in the nomination, except for the creators of the film themselves. Neither the director nor the actors received nominations, all prizes were distributed between sound and visual effects and other technical achievements.

Christian Bale

In 2001, Miramax Films began production of the film "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 an accidental acquaintance of two young people, which could not be continued. Sarah and Jonathan spent several hours together and broke up. Then Kate Beckinsale, whose filmography 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 the super movie "Batman".

Another vampire saga

The year 2003 was the beginning of the grandiose film project "Another World", which includes a number of horror films about vampires and werewolves. The serial film directed by Len Wiseman has something in common with the sensational "Twilight", and it has approximately the same production scheme. Beckinsale has been busy starring throughout the series, playing Celine, the main character. Celine brought death, and moreover, she cultivated death in every possible way, made it, as they do some kind of product, systematically and inevitably. "Another World" consists of four parts: "Another World" (2003), "Another World. Evolution" (2006), "Another World. Rise of the Lycans" (2009) and "Another World. Awakening" (2012).

Aviator

The following year, Beckinsale played the female lead in the fantasy film Van Helsing, directed by Stephen Sommers. Her character, Anna Valerius, is a gypsy princess called upon to destroy Count Dracula. And finally, in 2004, Kate Beckinsale, whose height (170 cm) almost became an obstacle to getting the coveted role, starred in the wonderful biopic "The Aviator" directed by Martin Scorsese. Kate's character is Hollywood megastar Ava Gardner, a woman "with the face of an angel and the body of a goddess." The main character, millionaire Howard Hughes, was played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Kate Beckinsale, whose weight was significantly less than Ava Gardner's build, had to gain about ten kilograms,to get the coveted role. She coped with this task, as well 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 Globe Awards, 4 BAFTA Awards - and this is not a complete list.

Filmography

Kate Beckinsale, whose filmography already contains about 40 films, expects to star in many more film projects. This list includes movies with the actress from 1995 to 2012:

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  Year 1995 - "Cold Farm", directed by John Schleesinger, role - Flora Proust. "Marie Louise", directed by Manuel Flesch, role - Marie Louise. "House of Ghosts", directed by Lewis Gilbert, role - Christina Mariel.

• Year 1996 - "Emma", directed by Douglas McGrath, role - Emma Woodhouse.
• Year 1997 - "Swindle", directed by Stefan Schwartz, role - Georgie.
• Year 1998 - "Alice Through the Looking Glass", directed by John Henderson, Kate - Alice. "The Last Days of Disco" directed by Whit Stillman, Kate - Charlotte Pingress.
• Year 1999 - "The Ruined Palace", directed by Jonathan Kaplan, Kate - Darlene Davis.
• Year 2000 - "Golden Bowl" directed by James Ivory, Kate - Maggie Werwer.
• Year 2001 - "Pearl Harbor", directed by Michael Bay, Kate - Evelyn. "Intuition", directed by Peter Chelsom, Kate - Sarah Thomas.
• Year 2002 - "Laurel Canyon", director Peter Chelsom, role - Alex.
• Year 2003 -"Little Fingers" directed by Matthew Bright, Kate - Carol. "Another World", directed by Len Wiseman, role - Celine.
• Year 2004 - "Van Helsing", directed by Stephen Sommers, Kate - Anna Valerius. The Aviator directed by Martin Scorsese, Kate - Ava Gardner.
• Year 2006 - "Click. With remote control for life", directed by Frank Koraci, role - Donna Newman.
• Year 2007 - "Snow Angels", directed by David Gordon Green, Kate - Annie Marchand. "Vacancy for the victim", directed by Nimrod Antal,. Kate - Amy Fox.
• Year 2008 - "Flight of a Lifetime", directed by Rowan Woods, Kate - Carla Davenport. "Nothing but the Truth" directed by Rod Lurie and played by Rachel Armstrong.
• Year 2009 - "Whiteout", directed by Dominique Sena, Kate - Carrie Stetko. "All the Way" directed by Kirk Jones, Kate - Amy.
• Year 2012 - "Contraband", directed by B althazar Kormakur, role - Keith Farraday.

Private life

The personal life of the popular actress Kate Beckinsale cannot be called stormy. The only man the actress met was the English actor Michael Sheen, who has a rare role - he plays politicians, in particular, he played Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister of yesteryear, in the films The Special Relationship, The Deal and The Queen.. Michael played David Frost in Frost vs. Nixon and Brian Clough in Damn United.

Kate and Michael meetwere temporary, although they lasted quite a long time. It is not known what prospect awaited young people, what plans they made, but on January 31, 1999, Kate Beckinsale gave birth to a daughter, very similar to Michael Sheen. The girl was named Lily Mo Shin. The little one even played her mother as a child when Kate starred as Celine in Underworld, as vampires have childhoods too.

Beckinsale broke up with Michael in 2003 and immediately got engaged to Underworld director Len Wiseman. A year later, the couple registered their marriage in Los Angeles.