Kathrin Romary Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was Much Ado About Nothing (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. After her role as Selene in the Underworld film series (2003–2016), Beckinsale is known for her work in action films, including Van Helsing, Whiteout , Contraband , and Total Recall. She continues to make appearances in smaller dramatic projects such as Snow Angels , Nothing but the Truth , and Everybody's Fine. In 2016, she received critical acclaim for her performance in the period comedy film Love & Friendship.