Date: 4th May 2004

Kate Beckinsale has weakness for action films


Kate Beckinsale says she has a weakness for action films.

Beckinsale stars in a new horror film - Van Helsing - which opens in the UK on Friday.

In it, Beckinsale plays gypsy princess Anna Valerious, opposite vampire hunter Van Helsing, played by Hugh Jackman. Between them they face up to all manner of villains from Dracula to Wolf Man and Frankenstein.

Beckinsale said: "I do have a weakness for action films. Die Hard is one of my favourite films. But there's not been a chance until recently for girls to do much in them except scream."

She also says playing such an action role can be therapeutic, reports the Daily Star.

"It's funny because I used to do anything to get off PE in school. I didn't set foot in a gym until I did Pearl Harbor and was made to, but I found the whole process liberating.

"
As a woman it's easy to get inhibited physically and doing this has made me feel less self-conscious about a lot of stuff," she said.

Beckinsale, who plays Ava Gardner in The Aviator, also says she doesn't want to do British period pieces for the rest of her life.

"
But I wouldn't want to do action movies for the rest of my life either," she said.

"
I like being in all these different kinds of movies and I've been lucky in that I've stayed below the radar enough to be able to cross over a lot more than some actresses. I hope that continues," she added.

Source: Press Release