Kate Beckinsale is an English actress. Kate Beckinsale is the daughter of actor Richard Beckinsale and actress Judy Loe. Kate has a paternal half-sister, Samantha, who is also an actress. Kate Beckinsale attended the Godolphin and Latymer School, an all-girls` independent school in London.

After a rebellious adolescence, including a period of anorexia and starting a smoking habit, Kate Beckinsale followed in the footsteps of her parents and began her acting career. Kate Beckinsale first role was in One Against the Wind. Having gained three language A levels, Beckinsale studied French and Russian literature at New College, Oxford University, though she did not finish her degree.

Kate worked on both film and television, most notably by portraying the title character in the 1996 television series Emma. In 2001, Kate garnered international recognition when she was cast as the romantic lead opposite Ben Affleck in her breakthrough film, Pearl Harbor. In 2008, Kate Beckinsale earned a Critic`s Choice Award nomination for her performance in Nothing But the Truth.