Meet the Sexiest Woman Alive!

British actress Kate Beckinsale has been named the Sexiest Woman Alive by Esquire magazine. The 36-year-old stunner took the crown from Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry, who was named last year's sexiest lady.

The uber sexy Beckinsale has stripped down for the photoshoot and also shot a raunchy video complete with killer heels, a come hither smile and practically little else!

Beckinsale, however, insists her brothers won't let the new title go to her head, reports accesshollywood.com. "This whole notion of being named Sexiest Woman Alive is going to earn me quite a beating. You can't have that title with four brothers. I'll get wedgies. Headlocks. Noogies (knuckles to the head)... I'm feeling that I must earn this - I need to go out and become much better at pole dancing or something," she said.

Kate also reveals her personal list of do's and don'ts. "I do eat meat, I don't smoke, I don't really drink, I do sing," she says in the Esquire interview.

Born in Finsbury Park, London, Beckinsale is the daughter of actor Richard Beckinsale, who died from a heart attack in 1979, and actress Judy Loe. She has a paternal half-sister, Samantha, who is also an actress.

After a rebellious adolescence, including a period of anorexia and starting a smoking habit, she followed in the footsteps of her parents and began her acting career. Her first role was in One Against the Wind, a television film about World War II that was first aired in 1991.

Beckinsale's first major American film, Brokedown Palace (1999), was not a commercial success. Soon after, Beckinsale was cast in the 2001 film Pearl Harbor as the female lead, after Charlize Theron turned down the part. The film was one of the highest-grossing films of its year.

Subsequently she appeared in a series of American films that, while high-profile, were given somewhat mixed reviews, including Serendipity (2001), Underworld (2003) and Van Helsing (2004). In 2005, she portrayed Ava Gardner in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, a role for which she gained 20 pounds.

In 2006, Beckinsale was placed at #23 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World", after being #71 in 2005. She has also been placed at #16 in Maxim's "HOT 100" (2003), #63 in Stuff's "100 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002), and was chosen by the English magazine Hello! as "England's #1 Beauty", also in 2002.

In January 2006, Beckinsale reprised her role as a vampire in the movie Underworld: Evolution, a sequel to her 2003 film, Underworld, again directed by her husband, Len Wiseman. The film opened in the #1 spot at the box office, grossing over $26 million in its first weekend of release. Also in 2006, Beckinsale appeared in the comedy Click, starring Adam Sandler, which opened on 23 June. Next, Beckinsale replaced Sarah Jessica Parker in the film Vacancy, released in 2007. Her next role was in Snow Angels, which was released in 2008.

Beckinsale and her ex-partner Michael Sheen have a daughter, Lily Mo Sheen (born 31 January 1999). She reported in interviews that during her pregnancy with Lily was the only time she has ever stopped smoking. Her daughter has acted, portraying a young version of her mother in most roles, including Underworld: Evolution and Everybody's Fine.

During the Underworld shoot, Beckinsale split from Sheen, who was also starring in the film. She became involved with the director of the film, Len Wiseman. In June 2003, Beckinsale became engaged to Wiseman, and the two were married on 9 May 2004 in Bel-Air, California.

(Text: IANS and Wikipedia)