(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Kate Beckinsale felt "sucked in over her head" while shooting her newest movie.

The 38-year-old actress returned to work on Contraband after going on professional hiatus for two years to attend to family affairs.

Kate felt hard-pressed with obligations once she got back into the groove of filming after spending a great length of time away from a set.

"[I put] a toe in the water, and then I got sucked in over my head," Kate told USA Today. "It's been quite busy, a crazy year."

Kate finds solace from the rat race with her husband, director Len Wiseman. Kate appreciated the downtime she spent with Len and family in Toronto, Canada, while the couple filmed Total Recall last summer.

"[My daughter Lily's] very best friend from England came out," Kate shared. "We had the dogs there. My parents were there for some of it. Lily's dad came out. It was really great."

Total Recall took five weeks to shoot. Kate admits that working with her husband Len was tense at times, but the friction often dissolved quickly.

"Thank goodness for texting. You can have a whole vicious argument in front of everybody, and no one knows," Kate laughed.

Kate and Len enjoy spending quality time with loved ones. It is a rare occasion for the pair to go out on a date on their own.

"We like having friends over to our house. We play silly games and cook," Kate explained. "It's such an event when my husband and I get to go to a movie. It's such a big deal. And then of course, I fall asleep every time. I'm furious. We've been waiting three weeks to see it, and it's like being given an anaesthetic."

Contraband starring Kate and Mark Wahlberg was released last weekend. (C) Cover Media