Beckinsale dreams of uni degree

Kate Beckinsale

Kate Beckinsale, who plays Ava Gardner in Martin Scorsese's blockbuster biopic The Aviator, wants to return to university.

The mother-of-one's acting career has taken off with the role in one of the year's most talked about movies, but that does not stop her dreaming of a degree.

"If I had the opportunity I'd love to go back to university," she said. "I'm 31 years old and if I'm going to go back to college ... then it's probably time to do it now."

Beckinsale went to Oxford University to study French and Russian literature, but left before graduating after a promising acting career took priority.

Her next project is a sequel to Underworld, a film directed by her husband Len Wiseman in which she plays a beautiful vampire warrior.