You’ve seen it on late-night cable or scrolling through a streaming library. One minute you’re looking at a sleek, leather-clad vampire with a British accent kicking a werewolf through a wall. You think, Oh, that’s Kate Beckinsale. Then you look closer. Wait. Is it? The jawline is a bit different. The energy is slightly more "grit" than "grace."
Honestly, the confusion between Kate Beckinsale and Rhona Mitra isn't just a casual mistake. It's basically baked into the DNA of the Underworld franchise. For over two decades, fans have debated whether they look like sisters, clones, or just two actresses who happen to share the same "English brunette who can handle a Glock" vibe.
The Underworld Connection: Why They Actually Look Alike
Most people think Rhona Mitra was just a "replacement" for Kate Beckinsale. That’s actually wrong. In the world of Underworld, the resemblance is a literal plot point, even if it's never explicitly shouted at the audience.
Kate Beckinsale is Selene. She's the face of the series, appearing in four out of the five films. But in 2009, when the prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans came out, Kate was nowhere to be found. Instead, we got Rhona Mitra playing Sonja.
Here is the kicker: Sonja is the daughter of the vampire elder Viktor. She's the one who started the whole war by falling in love with the werewolf Lucian. Viktor eventually kills his own daughter, and centuries later, he finds a young girl named Selene who looks exactly like her. He turns Selene into a vampire because he can't let go of his dead daughter’s image.
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So, if you think they look similar, you're actually just following the story. The production needed someone who could pass for Kate’s ancestor or doppelgänger. It wasn't a casting accident; it was a character choice.
Kate Beckinsale vs. Rhona Mitra: Career Trajectories
Kate Beckinsale was a "serious" actress before the latex suits. Think Much Ado About Nothing or Pearl Harbor. When she took the role of Selene, it changed her career trajectory completely. She became the "Action Queen" of the 2000s. Even now, in 2026, she's still the gold standard for that specific gothic-action aesthetic. She stayed with the franchise until Blood Wars in 2016, and while she's branched out into projects like Canary Black and Jolt, she’s forever tied to that blue-tinted vampire world.
Rhona Mitra, on the other hand, is a bit more of a cult legend.
Long before she was a vampire, she was the original live-action model for Lara Croft. Yeah, the Tomb Raider one. She’s always had this "dirty-sexy" ruggedness that Beckinsale’s more polished Selene lacked. After Underworld, Rhona didn't just stay in the action-horror lane. She went to TV, dominating shows like Boston Legal, The Last Ship, and Strike Back.
While Kate is often seen as the A-list movie star, Rhona is the one fans point to when they want someone who looks like they actually know how to survive a desert wasteland.
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The Great Aesthetic Debate
If you ask a hardcore fan, they’ll tell you the differences are night and day.
- Kate Beckinsale: Delicate features, very "English Rose," moves with a sort of feline elegance.
- Rhona Mitra: Stronger, more athletic build, deeper voice, and a screen presence that feels a bit more dangerous.
What Most People Get Wrong
There is a persistent myth that Rhona Mitra was hired because Kate Beckinsale quit. That’s not quite how it went down. Len Wiseman (the director and Kate’s husband at the time) always wanted to do a prequel. Since the prequel takes place hundreds of years before Selene was even born, Kate couldn't play the lead. She did show up for a tiny cameo at the very end of Rise of the Lycans, basically just a voiceover and a recycled shot from the first movie to link the two together.
It wasn't a "passing of the torch" in a competitive sense. It was just expanding the lore.
Where Are They Now?
As of early 2026, the Underworld franchise is famously dormant, though rumors of a reboot or a series are constantly floating around on Reddit. Kate Beckinsale continues to be a massive social media presence—mostly known for her high-fashion looks and her very chaotic, very funny Instagram posts involving her cats.
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Rhona Mitra has been a bit more selective. She’s had a bit of a career resurgence lately, appearing in projects like Red Sonja (the new remake) and some indie sci-fi thrillers. She’s moved away from the "lookalike" shadow and carved out a space as a reliable, intense character actress.
Final Thoughts for Fans
If you're trying to win an argument about who’s better, you’re looking at it wrong. Kate Beckinsale gave the franchise its heart and its iconic look. Rhona Mitra gave it its history and its grit.
If you want to dive deeper into their work, here is what you should actually do:
- Watch Underworld (2003) first. It’s the essential Kate Beckinsale performance.
- Skip the second one if you're short on time and go straight to Rise of the Lycans (2009). Watch Rhona Mitra's performance specifically to see how she mimics some of Kate’s mannerisms while keeping the character of Sonja unique.
- Check out Doomsday (2008) for Rhona Mitra at her absolute peak. It’s a wild, post-apocalyptic movie that shows exactly why she’s more than just a "Kate clone."
Basically, they are two sides of the same coin. One is the polished legacy, the other is the raw origin.