The Surprising Thing Kate Beckinsale Has Never Done

Romance looks different for everyone — and one actor admitted that she's never done one key thing that most people do when pursuing a romantic relationship. In an interview with Extra for her film "Jolt," the stunning Kate Beckinsale said she's never gone on a true date. When interviewer Jenn Lahmers asked Beckinsale about her "worst first date" to connect it to her "Jolt" character Lindy being unlucky in love, Beckinsale said, "Do you know, I've really barely ever been on a date. I literally kind of meet someone, get to know them at work, and then either marry them or get pregnant by them."

Lahmers laughed at that, and Beckinsale continued to explain that she'd never gone on a date orchestrated by friends. "I just can't think of anything I'd hate more than sitting in front of somebody I don't know, that chances are I won't like, and then have to sit and watch them eat food," Beckinsale said.

Even if Beckinsale — who says her celeb doppelgänger is Ryan Reynolds — has yet to go on a true first date, she's still had a fair share of romantic moments with previous partners. In an interview for her 2001 film "Pearl Harbor," Beckinsale divulged something sweet that her boyfriend at the time told her after a nightmare.

In her Cinema.com interview for "Pearl Harbor," Kate Beckinsale talked meeting then-boyfriend Michael Sheen. Beckinsale told the outlet, "We've been together since 1994 and it was only when I met him that my life really fell into place, and then we had Lily [Sheen], so it's totally changed everything."

Beckinsale was asked what the most romantic thing that Michael ever did for her was. She reminisced about a sweet moment: "I remember once waking up from a bad dream and being really scared that I was going to die, and he said, 'If you do, I will dive down and get you back,' and I really did believe him — and I wouldn't believe it from anyone else. He's a magical person."

Beckinsale also discussed the time Michael came to "The Golden Bowl" set and punched her co-star Jeremy Northam. It was early in the film's shoot and a little chaotic. While Beckinsale and Northam were having an argument, Michael arrived to pick up his and Beckinsale's daughter Lily (who was an infant at the time). When he saw the way Northam was shouting at Beckinsale, Michael hit him. "The truth is, [Michael's] never hit anyone before in his life and it was kind of shocking," Beckinsale said. "But in a weird way, it really broke the ice and it was all OK after that. I actually had a good time making the film."

Michael Sheen and Kate Beckinsale broke up in 2003. They raised Lily Sheen as co-parents, and Lily shared with The List how her parents are supportive of her acting career. After splitting from Michael, Beckinsale entered a relationship with director Len Wiseman. They were married in 2004. In a 2012 Entertainment Weekly interview, Beckinsale clarified that there was no scandal where she left Sheen for Wiseman (since the three of them worked on the "Underworld" film together). "If that were the case, I think it would be very difficult and peculiar to have an okay situation," Beckinsale said. Everyone got along well, and raising Lily was their focus.

In November 2015, Beckinsale and Wiseman split. A source for Us Weekly said, "They tried to make it work, but they end up falling back into old habits and fighting." Since then, she's also been linked to Jack Whitehall and Pete Davidson, among others. Another rumored beau from April 2023 was Matt Atwater after the duo was spotted walking around New York. 

On the Beckinsale-Atwater rumors, an insider told People, "They're friendly. There's nothing romantic going on." That July, fans thought they spotted Beckinsale sitting on what could be Atwater's lap in one of her birthday Instagram posts. Someone commented and asked if Beckinsale was engaged due to the rings on her ring finger. "Oh hell no," Beckinsale replied. Perhaps she hasn't gotten over her qualms about dating!