Claim: James Ivory directed Kate Beckinsale.

Kathrin Romary Beckinsale -LRB- born 26 July 1973 -RRB- is an English actress . After some minor television roles , she made her film debut in Much Ado About Nothing -LRB- 1993 -RRB- while still a student at the University of Oxford . She then appeared in British costume dramas such as Prince of Jutland -LRB- 1994 -RRB- , Cold Comfort Farm -LRB- 1995 -RRB- , Emma -LRB- 1996 -RRB- , and The Golden Bowl -LRB- 2000 -RRB- , in addition to various stage and radio productions . She began to seek film work in the United States in the late 1990s and , after appearing in small-scale dramas The Last Days of Disco -LRB- 1998 -RRB- and Brokedown Palace -LRB- 1999 -RRB- , she had starring roles in the war drama Pearl Harbor and the romantic comedy Serendipity . She followed those with appearances in The Aviator -LRB- 2004 -RRB- and Click -LRB- 2006 -RRB- .   Since being cast as Selene in the Underworld film series -LRB- 2003-present -RRB- , Beckinsale has become known primarily for her work in action films , including Van Helsing -LRB- 2004 -RRB- , Whiteout -LRB- 2009 -RRB- , Contraband -LRB- 2012 -RRB- , and Total Recall -LRB- 2012 -RRB- . She also continues to make appearances in smaller dramatic projects such as Snow Angels -LRB- 2007 -RRB- , Nothing but the Truth -LRB- 2008 -RRB- , and Everybody 's Fine -LRB- 2009 -RRB- . In 2016 , she appeared in Whit Stillman 's Jane Austen comedy Love & Friendship .