Kate Beckinsale Kate Beckinsale Kathrin Romary Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is a British actress. After some minor television roles, she made her film debut in "Much Ado About Nothing" (1993) while still a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume dramas such as "Prince of Jutland" (1994), "Cold Comfort Farm" (1995), "Emma" (1996), and "The Golden Bowl" (2000), 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" (1998) and "Brokedown Palace" (1999), she
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (play) for subsequent movie adaptations. Orphan Rebecca Rowena Randall is sent to live with her dour aunts, Jane and Miranda Sawyer. She has trouble adjusting to her new home at first, and tries to run away. Eventually her light-hearted optimism wins over her aunts and attracts the interest of local boy Adam Ladd. Author Kate Douglas Wiggin's bestselling children's novel "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" was first published in 1903. A sequel, "New Chronicles of Rebecca", was published in 1907. In the summer of that year, Wiggin was approached by fellow author Charlotte Thompson about adapting the Rebecca stories for the stage.