Washington, Aug 16 Actress Kate Beckinsale decided to star as a vampire in 2006 action/horror flick 'Underworld' for she wanted to prove that she was more than an English period actress.

The 34-year-old was tired of her stereotyped image of an English maiden after her role in the 1993 Shakespearean movie 'Much Ado About Nothing' and in 1996 TV adaptation of Jane Austen's 'Emma'.

"This is still a complete riot to me that anyone lets me be in an action movie. Before I did Underworld, every time I walked into a room I would think there was a whiff of crumpets and fine china. If the character was a cop or whatever, it was, 'No, Kate's from England," Contactmusic quoted her, as saying.

"So I just wanted to do something with a little bit more edge and then it took off a little bit more than I thought it would," she said.

In January 2006, Beckinsale reprised her role in the secret history of vampire and werewolve movie 'Underworld: Evolution', a sequel to her 2003 film, 'Underworld', directed by hubby, Len Wiseman. T. (ANI)