Kate Beckinsale Says She 'Respects' Daughter Lily's 'Independence' While Pursuing Acting Career

KATE BECKINSALE, lily sheen
KATE BECKINSALE, lily sheen
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Kate Beckinsale is one proud mom.

The 48-year-old Guilty Party star recently spoke to Entertainment Tonight about her daughter Lily Mo Sheen's start in Hollywood. As the 22-year-old actress finds her way, Beckinsale said she's giving her room to grow, while standing by to support when needed.

"I'm not calling her up and saying, 'Now, I've got a pearl of wisdom, get ready!' " Beckinsale told the outlet, noting that she only gives Lily advice if she asks for it. "It's been very important to me to be very independent in that respect."

The actress, who shares Lily with ex Michael Sheen, added that her daughter (who next appears in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, out April 2022) is further defining her own path by not using her famous mother's last name professionally.

RELATED: Kate Beckinsale Celebrates Her Birthday with Daughter Lily Mo Sheen After 2 Years Apart: 'Love'

KATE BECKINSALE, lily sheen
KATE BECKINSALE, lily sheen

Dave M. Benett/Getty Images for Burberry

"I think, you know, it's onerous enough to sort of look like me, you know, and me being her mother anyway and her having the same name," Beckinsale explained. "She's been asked since she was about 3 months old like, 'Oh, are you going to be an actress like your mother?' "

She continued, "I think it's really important to her to have her own thing and blaze her own trail and do her own stuff. So as much as it's quite difficult not to kind of be poking into her business all the time, I really do respect that and I admire how much she wants to be independent from us."

In another kind of celebration, Beckinsale's birthday festivities were extra-special over the summer, celebrating with Lily by her side after nearly two years apart due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

The Everybody's Fine actress posted several photos from her mom's party, including a sweet snap of Beckinsale giving her a kiss at the dinner table.

Kate Beckinsale Celebrates Her 48th Birthday with Daughter Lily Sheen After 2 Years Apart
Kate Beckinsale Celebrates Her 48th Birthday with Daughter Lily Sheen After 2 Years Apart

Kate Beckinsale/Instagram

"Big bday people (ignore my expression)," she captioned her Instagram snap, to which Beckinsale replied in the comments section, "Me baby me hot smart baby 😍."

RELATED: Kate Beckinsale and Daughter Lily Reunite After 'Most Preposterous' 2 Years Apart

In July, Beckinsale revealed on Live with Kelly and Ryan that she hadn't seen Lily in person since before the pandemic began.

"I haven't seen my daughter for two years because of everything. Also, I went to Canada working and she couldn't come see me," she told the hosts. "Two years of not seeing your child is the most preposterous thought."

During their time apart, Beckinsale and Lily relied on technology to stay connected.

"Thank goodness for FaceTime and all that, but we're both panicking that we'll look really old to each other," she joked at the time. "My daughter's 22 and looks 8. So she's like, 'I'm just worried that you're going to think I look old.' I'm like, 'I'm going to look old!' "