Born on July 26th, 1973 in London, England, UK, she was only five when he suddenly and unexpectedly passed away, leaving her to be raised by her mother, the actress Judy Loe (Kate has a half-sister, Samantha Beckinsale, herself an actress and star of London's Burning - they met when very young, but not again till 1995). Yet, so popular was her dad, and so shocked was the nation by his untimely death, that she would for years be talked about as his tragic daughter, rather than her own person.

Her bereavement affected her deeply. She describes herself then as "a furious and passionate child" who went off the rails at school. She was further disturbed at the age of nine when Loe began a relationship with director Roy Battersby and moved in with him - Kate now having to share her space with Battersby's daughter and four loud sons. She remembers feeling "invaded", and hoping that her mother would not remarry, though she now gladly acknowledges Battersby's positive influence on her life.

Pearl Harbor, where she takes her first major starring role, as Ben Affleck's lover, nurse Evelyn Johnson (she actually got the part when Charlize Theron pulled out to do Sweet November). For this she took no fee from producers Disney, instead agreeing to a percentage of profits. If general predictions prove to be correct, the film will make her both a star and a very rich woman. Smart and funny, she's still her father's daughter. But now Richard Beckinsale is Kate Beckinsale's dad.

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