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

English actress Kate Beckinsale (full name Kathryn Bailey Beckinsale) was born in London on July 26, 1973, in a family of professional actors: her father is the famous actor Richard Beckinsale, mother - theatrical actress Judy Lo. Richard Beckinsale died in 1979 of a heart attack at the age of 31, and the girl remained with her mother and elder sister Samantha. They lived together, Judy drove daughters and to rehearsals, and to performances in which she participated. Perhaps the theatrical atmosphere influenced the girls. Returning home, they arranged their own improvised performances and mise-en-scenes. Mother sometimes directed daughters, and sometimes herself took part in their schemes.

Choice of profession

The girl grew bright and in her childhood she surprised the people 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 sorts of compositions on a free theme. The gifted Kate Beckinsale, whose biography had already opened her first page, had grown up early, was a serious and thoughtful girl by years. After graduating from school in London, she decided to continue family traditions and become an actress. Future movie star Kate Beckinsale, whose height, weight and figure parameters could serve as a standard of female beauty, visited several casting agencies and left her portfolio there.

Film-making

Beautiful appearance and chiseled figure did their job, and soon the girl had a film debut. She played young Alice Meir in the film directed by John Davis "Devices and Desires". It was a mini-series, but for Kate, her first test was a real event. The film appeared on the screen in 1991, and the young actress Beckinsale went to the nearest cinema several times to look at herself. The girl was happy, before her opened the boundless world of American cinema, and she was preparing to subdue him.

TV serials

Then Kate Beckinsale, whose filmography contained one picture, starred in the television movie "Alone Against the Wind" directed by Larry Eliakann, where she played Barbara Lindell, a small supporting role. Then followed the role of Rachel, a community activist in the short film directed by Vivian Albertin called "Rachel's Dream." Next year, 1993, the actress played in the next television movie, it was a picture of director Colin Baxi "Anna Lee." The character of the girl Ti Han was uncomplicated, and the actress easily coped with the task. Then for Kate began a strip of films of the big cinema. She liked the specifics of filming these full-length films, the friendly atmosphere reigning on the set, the benevolence of partners and the director. Shooting, usually, continued until late, but the young and tireless Bekinsale did not hurry home, she wanted to star in all the episodes that were in the script.

Shakespeare

Back in late 1992, Beckinsale began to learn the role of Hero, the character of the film "Much Ado About Nothing" based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name. The director of the production was Kenneth Branagh, who also played the main role - the hardened bachelor Benedict. The picture was released in May 1993 and did not produce a sensation. Kate, in addition to film projects, participated in television series and various shows, in short, did not sit around. She also from time to time went to theatrical stage to observe the traditions of the family and to enjoy the communication with the living audience sitting in the hall.

Failure

After Shakespeare's play, actress Kate Beckinsale starred in several other film projects, but a serious role went to her only in 1999 - in the dramatic film The Ruined Palace directed by Jonathan Kaplan. Kate played Darlene Davis, who was imprisoned for drugs. The whole picture, from beginning to end, is permeated with deep emotions, but the rental was modest in terms of attendance, which means that the box office fees were also mediocre. The next film with Beckinsale in the title role under the title "The Golden Cup" directed by James Ivory and completely failed. With a budget of $ 15 million at the box office it was possible to collect only about 6 million. The financial collapse always hits the performers of the main roles and the director. So it happened this time.

Film and Prizes

But the following films with Kate Beckinsale fully rehabilitated the actress for the failure of the Golden Cup. First of all it was a movie "Pearl Harbor" directed by Michael Bey, where Kate played Evelyn, a nurse in whom two military pilots were in love. The picture was a success and a record box office. The film received 15 prizes and nominations, including Oscar and Golden Globe. However, in the nomination everything was included, except for 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.

Christian Bale

In 2001, Miramax Films began producing the film Intuition directed by Peter Chelsoom. Beckinsale played Sarah Thomas, the main character, and her partner was John Cusack. In the center of the story is a casual acquaintance of two young people who could not have continued. Sarah and Jonathan spent several hours together and parted. Then Kate Beckinsale, whose filmography quickly replenished, played a major role in the film "Laurel Canyon" directed by Peter Chelsoom. Her partner was Christian Bale, Hollywood star, an American actor of English origin, known for the superfilm "Batman."

Another saga of vampires

The year 2003 was the beginning of the grandiose film project "Another World", which includes a whole series of horror films about vampires and werewolves. The multi-part picture of director Lena Wiseman has something in common with the sensational "Twilight", and it has roughly the same production scheme. Beckinsale was in the lead role throughout the series, she played Celine, the main character. Selin carried death, and moreover, she cultivated death in every possible way, did it as planned, as certain products do, systematically and inevitably. The "Other World" consists of four parts: "Another World" (2003), "Another World: Evolution" (2006), "Another World: Lycans Rise" (2009) and "Another World: Awakening" (2012).

"Aviator"

The following year Beckinsale played the leading female role in the film "Van Helsing" directed by Stephen Sommers. Her character, Anna Valerius, is a gypsy princess, designed to destroy Count Dracula. And finally, in 2004, Keith Beckinsale, whose growth (170 cm) almost became an obstacle to obtaining the coveted role, starred in a remarkable biographical film "Aviator" directed by Martin Scorsese. The character Kate is the megastar of Hollywood Ava Gardner, a woman "with the face of an angel and the body of a goddess." The protagonist, the millionaire Howard Hughes, was played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Kate Beckinsale, whose weight did not reach the complexion of Ava Gardner, had to gain about ten kilograms to get the coveted 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 Oscar awards, 3 Golden Globe awards, 4 BAFTA awards - and this is not a complete list.

Filmography

Kate Beckinsale, whose filmography already contains about 40 paintings, expects to be shot in many other film projects. This list includes movies with the participation of the actress between 1995 and 2012:

• Year 1995 - "Cold Farm", directed by John Schlesinger, the role of Flora Proust. "Maria-Louise," directed by Manuel Flesch, the role of Maria-Louise. "The House of Ghosts," directed by Lewis Gilbert, the role of Christine Mariel.
• Year 1996 - "Emma", directed by Douglas McGrath, the role - Emma Woodhouse.
• Year 1997 - "Fiddling", directed by Stefan Schwartz, the role - Georgie.
• Year 1998 - "Alice in the Looking Glass", directed by John Henderson, Kate - Alice. "The Last Days of Disco", directed by Whit Steelman, Keith - Charlotte Pingress.
• Year 1999 - "The Ruined Palace", directed by Jonathan Kaplan, Keith - Darlene Davis.
• Year 2000 - "The Golden Cup", directed by James Ivory, Keith - Maggie Verver.
• Year 2001 - "Pearl Harbor", directed by Michael Bay, Keith - Evelyn. "Intuition", directed by Peter Chelse, Keith - Sara Thomas.
• Year 2002 - "Laurel Canyon", directed by Peter Chelse, the role - Alex.
• Year 2003 - "Little fingers", directed by Matthew Bright, Keith - Carol. "Another World," directed by Len Wiseman, the role - Celine.
• Year 2004 - "Van Helsing", directed by Stephen Sommers, Keith - Anna Valerius. "Aviator", directed by Martin Scorsese, Keith - Ava Gardner.
• Year 2006 - "Click with Remote Control for Life", directed by Frank Korachi, role - Donna Newman.
• Year 2007 - "Snow Angels", directed by David Gordon Green, Kate - Annie Marchand. "Vacancy for a victim," directed by Nimrod Antal ,. Kate is Amy Fox.
• Year 2008 - "Flight of a lifetime", directed by Rowan Woods, Keith - Carla Davenport. "Nothing but Truth," directed by Rod Lurie, the role of Rachel Armstrong.
• Year 2009 - "White Mist", director Dominic Sena, Keith - Carrie Stetko. "All the way through", directed by Kirk Jones, Kate - Amy.
• Year 2012 - "Contraband", directed by Baltazar Kormakur, the role - Kate Farraday.

Personal life

The personal life of the popular actress Kate Beckinsale can not be called stormy. The only man with whom the actress met was the English actor Michael Sheen, who has a rare role - he plays political figures, in particular, played Tony Blair, the British prime minister of yesteryear, in the films "Special Relations", "Deal" and "The Queen" . In the movie "Frost v. Nixon" Michael played David Frost, and Brian Clough - in the movie "The Damned United."

The meetings between Kate and Michael were temporary, although they lasted a long time. It is not known what prospect awaited the young people, what plans they were building, but on January 31, 1999 Kate Beckinsale gave birth to a daughter, very similar to Michael Sheena. The girl was named Lily Mo Shin. Baby even played her mother in her childhood, when Kate starred in the role of Celine in the movie "Another World", 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.