Kate Beckinsale Loe was born on July 26th, 1973, to two seasoned British television actors, and has spent most of her life in London. She has a half-sister who's also an actress; they only met briefly when Kate was very young and didn't cross paths again until 1995.

She 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 1992, she landed the role of Hero in the film adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. She was able to travel to Tuscany, Italy, where the film was being shot. She eventually dropped out of her studies after winning the role in three other European productions.

Up next for Kate was a role in the 1994 BBC television satire, Cold Comfort Farm, which opened to rave reviews in American art-house theatres and was a hit by indie standards. She continued performing in British theatre for the next few years, and added some more forgettable films to her resume.

In 1998, Kate returned to American eyes in the film Brokedown Palace, co-starring Claire Danes, and starred in the indie films Shooting Fish and The Last Days of Disco.

After a role in The Golden Bowl, Kate had a huge year, what with being cast in one of Hollywood's biggest projects to date: the $150-million Disney pic, Pearl Harbor. She made her bid to be the next Meg Ryanin the romantic comedy Serendipity, in fall 2001.

The talented actress also juggles motherhood as she has a daughter, Lily Sheen (born January 31, 1999) with actor Michael Sheen.

Kate can be seen in the film Laurel Canyon, 2002 released.