Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress. The only child of the actors Richard Beckinsale and Judy Loe, she debuted in the series premiere of the 1975 daytime drama Couples. In 1993, she made her theatrical film debut with a role in Kenneth Branagh's adaptation Much Ado About Nothing whilst studying at the University of Oxford. She played leading roles in numerous British costume dramas such as Prince of Jutland (1994), Cold Comfort Farm (1995) and Emma (1996). She also starred in Pearl Harbor (2001) and Serendipity (2001). A starring role as Selene in the Underworld film series (2003–2016) propelled Beckinsale into action movies and starring roles in bigger budget films. Major releases have included the The Aviator (2004), Van Helsing, (2004) and Total Recall (2012). Beckinsale has continued to earn praise for her roles in small-scale dramas such as Snow Angels (2007), Love & Friendship (2016), and The Only Living Boy in New York (2017). She returned to television in the limited series The Widow (2019).