Two decades ago, Kate Beckinsale took on a role in Underworld that ultimately transformed her life and made her a big movie star. But before accepting the part, she was worried, unaware of what the future held. The daunting tasks required for the film terrified her, yet little did she know, it would mark a significant turning point in her Hollywood career.

Underworld Made Kate Beckinsale Rethink Her Whole Career

Even after two decades since the release of 2003’s Underworld, the character of vampiress Selene remains one of Kate Beckinsale‘s most iconic roles. Beckinsale’s journey to action stardom, however, was far from effortless or easy, to say the least. In a 2016 Role Recall interview with Yahoo Entertainment, the now 50-year-old British actress revealed that she almost lost hope, doing the exact same character in different fonts, as the internet says. She said,
“I’d be in America for a while and occasionally going up for parts [like] a cop or somebody tougher, and people would be like, ‘Oh, but she’s sort of Jane Austen-y and she’s very period, and a bit fragile,”
Kate Beckinsale as Selene
The sudden arrival of this movie made her realize things are going to change and would help her to shatter her soft public perception as she stated,
“And then suddenly I got sent this script and I also thought, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I could do that. I’ve never even thought about being that sort of person.’”
This movie significantly changed the trajectory of her career and shaped the actor she has become today.

Kate Beckinsale Was Terrified Before Accepting Underworld

Portraying Selene in the action-thriller on screen, demanded her be a fearless vampire assassin. For this role, extensive training was necessary, which posed a challenge given her admission that she wasn’t particularly athletic. In the same Yahoo interview, she stated,
“It was really frightening because I had never fired a gun before. I ran like a girl. I mean, it was a disaster. I really had to be mentored into that.–I remember the stuntmen being super horrified. [They’d say], ‘Throw a few punches.’–“They were like, ‘Oh my god. This is gonna take a minute.’”
Kate Beckinsale as Selene
In the end, everything fell into place for Beckinsale, as the actress successfully portrayed the character, and embodied the very spirit the role demanded. Underworld then emerged as an undefeated hit, raking in $95 million globally against its mere modest $21 million budget. Fans wholeheartedly embraced the movie, and from that moment on, there was no turning back for her.

Underworld is available on Apple TV for rent.