Kate Beckinsale

July 26, 2025

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Kate Beckinsale, born Kathrin Romany Beckinsale on July 26, 1973, is an English actress and model known for “Pearl Harbor” and the “Underworld” franchise. The talented actress has starred in numerous films, television shows, and even stage and radio productions. On her birthday today, we are going to honor her by learning more about her life and career.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Kathrin Romany Beckinsale

Nickname:

Kate

Birth date:

July 26, 1973

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Leo

Height:

5' 8"

Relationship Status:

Single

Net Worth:

$25 million

Background

Kate Beckinsale is an English actress and model born in the Chiswick district of London and is the only child of actors Richard Beckinsale and Judy Loe. When Beckinsale was four, she made her first television appearance in an episode of “This Is Your Life,” which was dedicated to her father. She attended Godolphin and Latymer School and was involved with the Orange Tree Youth Theater. She then attended New College, Oxford before dropping out to pursue her acting career.

Her breakthrough role came after a few stints in television series when she was cast in the romantic comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” in 1993. Since then, she has starred in several notable films, such as “Emma” in 1996, “Pearl Harbor” in 2001, and “Underworld” in 2003, which also spawned five further movies in the franchise. Beckinsale also starred in “Total Recall ” in 2012 alongside Jessica Biel and Colin Farrel. She has also won some prestigious awards for her efforts, such as ‘Best Actress’ at the Sitges Catalan International Film Festival, the Evening Standard British Film Awards, and the National Film Awards U.K.

In her personal life, Beckinsale had a daughter with fellow Hollywood star Michael Sheen and later married Len Wiseman, although they are now divorced. On her social accounts, Beckinsale is very outspoken and often shows off her cat to her 5.3 million followers on Instagram. As of 2022, she has two movies in post-production. She is still very much active in Hollywood and is a great actress, so we are excited to see what she does next!

Career timeline

1977

Her First Television Role

Beckinsale stars in an episode of “This Is Your Life.”

1993

Breakthrough in Film

She is cast in “Much Ado About Nothing,” which is her breakthrough role.

2003

The “Underworld” Franchise

She gets the part of Selene in the “Underworld” film series, which produces six movies.

2022

Her Success Continues

Beckinsale has two movies in post-production and is still very active in Hollywood.

Why We Love Kate Beckinsale

She is a badass
Beckinsale has starred in several action films and proves to be one of the best when it comes to fighting bad guys. Among her action-packed films are her roles in “Whiteout,” “Total Recall,” and, of course, “Underworld.”
She is charitable
After her father passed away from a heart attack, Beckinsale felt that the organization she would like to donate to is the British Heart Foundation. She supports the organization to this day.
She is dedicated to her roles
Whether it be getting fit for a fighting scene in a movie or putting on weight for a role, Beckinsale is super dedicated to her characters and we love that!

5 Surprising Facts

‘English Rose’
Beckinsale was dubbed the ‘English Rose’ by the B.B.C. and has had a few modeling gigs in her time, such as starring alongside Orlando Bloom in a Gap television advertisement.
Writing success
She has won the ‘WH Smith Young Writers Award’ for both fiction and poetry twice.
She has a very high I.Q.
Beckinsale has an I.Q. score of 152, whereas the average person has an I.Q. of between 85 and 115, making her part of the 1% of gifted people in the world.
She is multilingual
She can speak English, Russian, French, and German.
She doesn't drive
After numerous failed attempts, Beckinsale still does not have a driver's license.