Kate Beckinsale

Despite being an onscreen novice, actress Kate Beckinsale made a strong film debut as the virginal Hero in Kenneth Branagh's sun-dappled adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing" (1993), projecting the requisite intelligence and star quality that deemed her one to watch. Since her breakthrough, Beckinsale went on to make a name for herself in her native England, then across the pond in the United States, where she made her debut in "The Last Days of Disco" (1998). Though her first major American film, "Brokedown Palace" (1999), proved to be a box office flop, she gained widespread exposure in the blockbuster "Pearl Harbor" (2001). But it was Beckinsale's starring turn as the leather-clad vampire warrior, Selene, in "Underworld" (2003) that earned her a legion of young comic book fans who enjoyed seeing her reprise the sexy role in "Underworld: Evolution" (2006). As her career went on, Beckinsale deftly balanced her new status as a science fiction action queen with a realistic portrayal of Ava Garnder in "The Aviator" (2004) and roles in mature dramas like "Everybody's Fine" (2009).