Kate Beckinsale

Kate Beckinsale was born on July 26, 1973, to two seasoned British television actors, and spent most of her life in London. Her half-sister Samantha is also an actress; they met briefly when Kate was very young and didn't cross paths again until 1995. Kate made her acting debut in a television WWII drama called One Against the Wind, and was soon cast in a short corporate film about industrial accidents. In 1991, Kate left for Oxford University's New College, where she majored in French and Russian literature. She already knew that she was going to be an actress, but in order to broaden her horizons, she decided to attend a regular university rather than drama school.In 1994, Beckinsale had a supporting role in Prince of Jutland, which she worked with actor Christian Bale, whom would later reunite in 2002 drama Laurel Canyon. Kate starred in Haunted (1995) with Aidan Quinn and John Gielgud and in the 1996 TV film adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma.

She subsequently appeared in a few low-profile films, including Shooting Fish and The Last Days of Disco, both in 1998. During this time, Beckinsale also appeared in television films and in stage roles, including the well-received Cold Comfort Farm, opposite British film and television notables Rufus Sewell, Eileen Atkins, Joanna Lumley and Stephen Fry.