Kate Beckinsale took Underworld role to change nice girl image

Kate Beckinsale took on her tough role in the hit Underworld franchise after she started to get typecast for "delicate" and "fragile" roles by Hollywood executives.

The British beauty has played vampire warrior Selene since 2003, and the fourth installment, Underworld: Awakening, topped the box office over the weekend (20-22Jan12).

The star now reveals that producers' opinion of her as a good girl pushed her to tackle such a sinister part.

She says, "I'd had some feedback from casting directors kind of saying, 'We don't know if we really want to see her for this part, 'cause it's a cop, and she's really very delicate and British and fragile.'

"And I thought, 'I've got to do something about that. I've got to play something that has a little bit more edge to it'. I love this character (Selene). I really am proud of the fact that I've gotten to play this kind of rather iconic, empowered, empowering woman."