Keira Knightley

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LAST UPDATED: November 8, 2018

Keira Knightley Biography

The daughter of actor Will Knightley and playwright Sharman Macdonald. After she requested an agent at the age of three, her parents allowed her to work on productions in her summer holidays. Her first role was at the age of 9, in Moira Armstrong s A Village Affair (1995) . However, Knightleys first high profile role came in 1999, as Sabe, Decoy Queen to Natalie Portman s Queen Amidala in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999). Since then she has completed an impressive array of films, including her Oscar-nominated performance as Elizabeth Bennet in Pride & Prejudice (2005), but is probably best known for her role of Elizabeth Swann in Disneys Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). Return To Top

Keira Knightley Filmography

(2013) Anna Karenina: A Story of Epic Love as Herself
(2013) Can a Song Save Your Life? as Greta
(2013) Creating the Extraordinary World of Anna Karenina as Herself
(2013) Creating the Stunning Costumes of Anna Karenina as Herself
(2013) Jack Ryan as Cathy Ryan
(2013) Keira Knightley: Becoming Anna as Herself
(2012) Anna Karenina as Anna Karenina
(2012) Seeking a Friend for the End of the World as Penny
(2012) Stars in Shorts as Woman (archive footage)
(2011) 55th BFI London Film Festival as Herself
(2011) A Dangerous Method as Sabina Spielrein
(2011) Celebrity Naked Ambition as Herself (archive footage)
(2011) Neverland as Tinker Bell (voice)
(2011) The Jonathan Ross Show as Herself
(2010) BFI London Film Festival Awards as Herself
(2010) Farewell 'The Bill' as Sheena Rose (archive footage) (uncredited)
(2010) Last Night as Joanna
(2010) London Boulevard as Charlotte
(2010) Never Let Me Go as Ruth
(2010) Steve as Woman
(2010) The People Speak UK as Herself
(2009) Almost Famous II as (archive footage)
(2009) ES.TV HD as Herself - Guest
(2009) Georgiana in Her Own Words as Herself
(2009) How Far She Went: Making the Duchess as Herself
(2009) Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as Herself
(2009) The Continuing and Lamentable Saga of the Suicide Brothers as The Fairy
(2009) The Republic of Telly as Herself
(2008) An Evening at the Academy Awards as Herself
(2008) Bringing the Past to Life: The Making of 'Atonement' as Herself
(2008) Entertainers with Byron Allen as Herself - Guest
(2008) Looking Over: The Edge of Love as Herself/Vera Phillips
(2008) Oscar, que empiece el espectáculo as Cecilia Tallis/Elizabeth Swann (archive footage) (uncredited)
(2008) The 80th Annual Academy Awards as Cecilia Tallis (archive footage) (uncredited)
(2008) The Duchess as Georgiana
(2008) The Edge of Love as Vera Phillips
(2008) The Story of the Costume Drama as Lara Antipova (archive footage)
(2007) A Journey Behind the Scenes of 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End' as Herself
(2007) Atonement as Cecilia Tallis
(2007) Cómo conseguir un papel en Hollywood as Herself (archive footage)
(2007) Forbes 20 Under 25: Young, Rich and Famous as Herself (archive footage)
(2007) Movie Connections as Jules Paxton (archive footage) (uncredited)
(2007) Paris Hilton Inc.: The Selling of Celebrity as Herself (archive footage)
(2007) Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End as Elizabeth Swann
(2007) Raiders of the Lost Archive as Little Girl (archive footage)
(2007) Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind as Em (voice)
(2007) Silk as Hélène Joncour
(2007) Up Close with Carrie Keagan as Herself
(2007) Variety Club Showbiz Awards 2007 as Herself - Winner Film actress of the year award
(2007) Xposé as Herself
(2006) Cosmetic Surgery Nightmares as Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
(2006) I Am a Bounty Hunter: Domino Harvey's Life as Herself - 'Domino Harvey'
(2006) Live from the Red Carpet: The 2006 Golden Globe Awards as Herself
(2006) On Set Diaries as Herself
(2006) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest as Elizabeth Swann
(2006) Pirates of the Caribbean: Secrets of Dead Man's Chest as Herself
(2006) Soccer Aid as Herself
(2006) The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards as Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
(2006) The 78th Annual Academy Awards as Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Leading Role
(2006) The Bennets as Herself
(2006) The Politics of Dating as Herself
(2006) THS Investigates: Starving for Perfection as Herself
(2006) World of Robin Hood as Gwyn (archive footage) (uncredited)
(2005) 101 Sexiest Celebrity Bodies as Herself - Place #92 (archive footage)
(2005) Comic Relief: Red Nose Night Live 05 as Herself
(2005) Domino as Domino Harvey
(2005) Greatest Before They Were Stars TV Moments as Princess Beatrice (archive footage)
(2005) Isaac as Herself
(2005) King Arthur: A Roundtable Discussion as Herself
(2005) Made in Hollywood as Herself
(2005) My Shot With as Herself
(2005) Pride & Prejudice as Elizabeth Bennet
(2005) Pride and Prejudice Revisited as Elizabeth Bennet (archive footage) (uncredited)
(2005) Stories of Lost Souls as Leah (segment "New Year's Eve") (archive footage)
(2005) The Jacket as Jackie Price
(2005) The Jacket: Project History and Deleted Scenes as Herself
(2004) 52 Most Irresistible Women as Herself
(2004) Blood on the Land: The Making of a King as Herself
(2004) King Arthur as Guinevere
(2004) Planet Voice as Elizabeth Swann (archive footage)
(2004) Starz Special: On the Set of 'King Arthur' as Guinevere
(2004) Tavis Smiley as Herself - Guest
(2004) The Making of 'King Arthur' as Herself
(2003) An Epic at Sea: The Making of 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' as Herself
(2003) Cartaz Cultural as Herself
(2003) Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Herself
(2003) Gaijin as Kate (voice)
(2003) Imagine as Herself
(2003) Love Actually as Juliet
(2003) Pirates of the Caribbean as Narrator (VG) (voice)
(2003) Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl as Elizabeth Swann
(2003) She Shoots, She Scores: The Making of 'Bend It Like Beckham' as Herself
(2003) Sunday Morning Shootout as Herself
(2002) Bend It Like Beckham as Juliette 'Jules' Paxton
(2002) Doctor Zhivago as Lara Antipova (neé Guishar)
(2002) HypaSpace as Herself
(2002) New Year's Eve as Leah
(2002) Pure as Louise
(2002) The Seasons Alter as Helena
(2002) Thunderpants as Music School Student (uncredited)
(2002) Tinseltown TV as Herself
(2001) Deflation as Jogger
(2001) Friday Night with Jonathan Ross as Herself
(2001) Princess of Thieves as Gwyn
(2001) The Hole as Frances 'Frankie' Almond Smith
(2000) Breakfast as Herself - Actress
(1999) Oliver Twist as Rose Fleming (as Kiera Knightley)
(1999) Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace as Sabé (as Kiera Knightley)
(1998) Coming Home as Young Judith
(1997) Corazón de... as Herself (archive footage)
(1997) The View as Herself
(1996) Magacine as Herself
(1996) The Daily Show as Herself
(1996) The Treasure Seekers as The Princess
(1995) A Village Affair as Natasha Jordan
(1995) Innocent Lies as Young Celia
(1994) Extra as Herself
(1993) GMTV as Herself
(1993) Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Herself
(1993) Late Show with David Letterman as Herself
(1993) Late Show with David Letterman as Herself - Guest
(1992) HBO First Look as Herself
(1992) The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as Herself
(1991) The Charlie Rose Show as Herself - Guest
(1988) Live with Regis and Kathie Lee as Herself
(1988) This Morning as Herself
(1987) Biography as Herself
(1986) The Oprah Winfrey Show as Herself
(1985) American Masters as Herself
(1985) Screen One as Angela
(1984) Cinema 3 as Herself
(1984) The Bill as Sheena Rose
(1981) Entertainment Tonight as Herself
(1961) South at Six as Juliet - Love Actually (archive footage)
() Laggies as Megan
() Tender Is the Night as
() The Imitation Game as

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Keira Knightley Trivia and Facts

Daughter of actor Will Knightley and Sharman Macdonald.
Member of the Heathham House Youth Project.
Younger sister of Caleb Knightley.
Trained in dancing.
The similarity between Knightley and Natalie Portman meant that during the filming of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) , their own mothers could not tell them apart once in makeup.
Her role as the decoy queen in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) was kept secret in order to not spoil the surprise, it was maintained through the promotions that Portman played both the Queen and the decoy.
Supports West Ham United.
Mother is actress-turned-author Sharman Macdonald , who wrote When I Was A Girl I Used To Scream And Shout and The Winter Guest.
Tatler announced that Keira is the most desirable single woman in the UK (2004).
Has dyslexia. She had to wear special glasses in adolescence to help her read.
Glamour magazines choice for "Most Glamorous Film Actress" (2004).
The Royal Shakespeare Company of Stratford, England, held a 2004 poll asking movie viewers to vote for the actor and actress they would love to see play Romeo and Juliet, and the winners were Knightley and James Marsters. More than 2,000 people voted for more than 150 different actors for both roles. Keira triumphed over Kate Winslet , Nicole Kidman , Scarlett Johansson , and Juliet Landau in the vote. Knightley said, "I am absolutely thrilled to have come top of the poll, particularly as Juliet is a role I would very much love to play in the future." (April 23, 2004)
Voted #1 in New Woman magazines 50 Most Beautiful Celebs 2004.
Voted The Sexiest Film Star of All Time by Empire magazine poll. [September 2004]
She did her first topless scene at the age of 15, in The Hole (2001) , whilst the film was released in 2001 it was filmed in 2000. For legal reasons due to her age her mother had to agree and the set was closed.
Auditioned for, and was accepted to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) in London, England.
At 16, she went to Esher College to study for her A Levels, but quit the course when offered the role of Lara in Doctor Zhivago (2002) .
Voted #18 in FHM 100 Sexiest Women 2005.
Credits her dark looks to her mothers Black Scottish heritage, who were descendants of the Spanish Armada.
Shes an idol in several forum communities from Heavengames.com, one of the most famous websites about Real Time Strategy computer games.
When auditioning for the role of Jackie Price in The Jacket (2005) , she had suffered food poisoning a few days earlier. She decided to audition anyway and the film makers liked her "acting" for the scene, as Jackie Price was to be a woman with many issues of loss and pain as well as being physically sick in general.
She has bought a flat in Richmond Upon Thames (2005) but has said to have only have spent a few weeks there. However, she plans to fill it with her own painted canvases.
Voted second sexiest voice, behind Sir Sean Connery , in a poll by the UKs Royal National Institute for the Blind, commissioned to celebrate 70 years of their Talking Books service.
Named #53 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2005 list.
The Daily Mirror named her "Actress of the Year" in December 2005.
At age 20, she was the fifth-youngest woman in Oscar history to be nominated for Best Actress.
As of February 2006, says she plans on remaining living in London and will not move to Los Angeles to further her career in American films.
Loves to collect shoes.
Friend of the Italian actor Andrea Logiudice and Sienna Miller.
Was considered for the role of Kate Meer in Neil James s "Ghost Seeker: Genesis" in 2006. Both Lindy King (Knightleys agent) and Knightley herself liked the script, but the shooting schedule of Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End (2007) meant that the project had to move on without her.
Her hero is her cast mate in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) , Geoffrey Rush.
Named #11 in FHMs "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement. (2005)
Named #9 on MAXIM magazines "Hot 100" list of 2006
Employed a stylist to dress her for premieres and award ceremonies. The stylist also dresses Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Kidman.
Attended an engagement party for Jennifer Lopez and Chris Judd .
Trained four days a week for three months in preparation for King Arthur (2004). She did about two hours of weight lifting, and then three hours either boxing, fighting, or horseback riding. - Cosmopolitan, August 2004.
Said auditioning for the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera (2004) was the singularly most embarrassing moment of her life because "I knew I couldnt sing it." The role eventually went to trained opera singer Emmy Rossum. - Marie Claire 2005.
Told NewWoman in 2004 that for King Arthur (2004) , she endured an amazing seventh-month training session.
She has a personal trainer. - Tatler 2005
Took elocution lessons at the beginning of her career.
Invited to join AMPAS in 2006.
She attended a pre-Emmy party where she purchased a $7,500 pair of earrings.
Her 21st birthday party cost more than $30,000. Actors, designers, and other industry types attended.
Named #5 in FHM magazines "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006).
Ranked #20 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list.
Named Most Beautiful Woman and Most Beautiful Face by Independent Critics (indiecritics.com).
Her first name means dark.
Made her debut on the Forbes 100 Most Powerful Celebrities in June, 2007. She came in a #71 beating out other high profile actresses like Scarlett Johansson and Reese Witherspoon.
Voted #15 in the AfterEllen Hot 100, a list of the hottest women in entertainment as voted by lesbian and bisexual women (June 2007).
Was considered for the role of Ann in Evening (2007) , but wasnt able to do it due to schedule conflicts.
In January 2007, the Daily Mail newspaper published an article about a girl who had died from anorexia which falsely suggested that Keira was also anorexic and showed a photograph of her in a bikini alongside an emotive quote from the girls mother "If pictures like this one of Keira carried a health warning, my darling daughter might have lived". Keira successfully sued the Mail for libel.
The face of Chanels fragrance Mademoiselle (September 2007).
Was ranked #10 on Forbes List of The 20 Top-Earning Young Superstars.(2007).
Was named Empire Magazines #9 in the list of 100 Sexiest Stars.
The green satin gown she wore in Atonement (2007) was voted the publics favorite film costume of all time in a survey by Sky Movies and In Style magazine (January 2008).
In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated her earnings for the year at $9 million.
Was ranked #5 on Entertainment Weeklys 30 Under 30 the actress list. (2008).
Ranked #87 on the 2008 Telegraphs list "the 100 most powerful people in British culture".
Voted #10 in FHM 100 Sexiest Women of 2008.
Campaigned for the lead female role in The Rum Diary (2011) , but lost out to Amber Heard.
Was originally cast as Mary Boleyn in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) , but dropped out before filming began and Scarlett Johansson was subsequently cast instead.
Was in consideration for the role of Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) , but Hayley Atwell was cast instead.
Was originally cast as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (????) , but later dropped out of the project. Carey Mulligan was then cast instead.
Her film Bend It Like Beckham (2002) became the first Western film to be screened on North Korean television in 2010 (the screening was to celebrate 10 years of diplomatic relations between North Korea and the United Kingdom).
Is close friends with Carey Mulligan , having met on the set of Pride & Prejudice (2005).
Was in a relationship with Rupert Friend , having met on the set of Pride & Prejudice (2005) (December 2005-December 2010).
Was in a relationship with Jamie Dornan (August 2003-August 2005).
Was in consideration for the role of Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises (2012) , but Anne Hathaway was cast instead.
Was bridesmaid at her brother Caleb Knightley s wedding to Kerry Nixon , held at the Pollokshields Burgh Hall in Glasgow (24 April 2011).
Ranked #29 in the 2011 FHM Australia list of "100 Sexiest Women in the World".
Ranked #69 in the 2011 FHM list of "100 Sexiest Women in the World".
Ranked #54 in the 2010 FHM UK list of "100 Sexiest Woman in the World".
Ranked as having one of the most "Beautiful Famous Faces" by "The Annual Independent Critics List of the 100 Most Beautiful Famous Faces From Around the World." She was ranked #15 in 2010, #12 in 2009, #4 in 2008, #1 in 2007, #1 in 2006, #2 in 2005, #7 in 2004, #9 in 2003, and #13 in 2002.
(2008) By age 23, Forbes Magazine ranked Knightley as the the second highest-paid actress in Hollywood with estimated earnings of $32 million in 2007. She was also the only non-American actress to make the list at that time.
Had a belly button piercing a week before she turned 13.
Married James Righton before 11 guests in a private ceremony in the town hall of Mazan, just 12 miles away from Marseilles. The bride wore a strapless white tulle dress and pink pumps, along with a cropped Chanel jacket and a daisy-chain style garland on her head (4 May 2013).

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Keira Knightley Quotes

The problem for me was that by being in the film the magic was broken. I loved the first Star Wars film and my mum was really into it too, thats why I took the part. But the Force wasnt there when we were filming it, and they didnt have real light sabres, which annoyed me.
About wearing a corset on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) : "I had a Scarlett OHara thing, she gets her waist down to 18 and a half inches--so I thought I would try that. For five minutes, its fantastic--you have this tiny waist and fantastic cleavage, but oxygen deprivation is a big problem!"
(About kissing Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) ) There were these teen-aged girls off-cam, and they were ready to kill me because I kissed Orlando Bloom !
I feel less blonde now and, er, smarter!
Theres no point having an 18th birthday in America.
Ive always been a snob about qualifications.
on Bend It Like Beckham (2002) : "I thought there would be doubles--stunt doubles--and I would just run in for the close-ups, but unfortunately they didnt have the money for that.
(After being called the new Hayley Mills ) "That was cruel! Nothing against Hayley Mills , but Im trying to be cool here. Im trying to be edgy".
Do you know that on all the sets Ive been on, nobody has ever made a pass at me?
(on shoes) "I see a pair of shoes I adore, and it doesnt matter if they have them in my size. I buy them anyway."
(On "The View" (1997) ) "I met Barbara Walters backstage and didnt know who she was. Shes an American phenomenon, I was told later. Im just sooo English".
(at a photo shoot) "Im a hooker in these pictures, and I must be a high priced one because Im staying at the Ritz, which is good."
Im a tomboy beanpole? I cant use a computer, so maybe Im a bit out of the loop. I dont know whether to be flattered or not flattered. The beanpole bit, is that good? Can you be a sexy beanpole?
"Katharine Hepburn and Vivien Leigh are my heroes. Not because of their ability, but because of their perseverance".
When in doubt, faint.
on making Love Actually (2003) : "We had kind of done all our wedding and we felt like the stars of the show, then sudden youve got all these other people with story lines and you think: Excuse me, I know youre Alan Rickman , but get out of my film, please, thank you.
I know for a fact the work is going to dry up, and people will get bored of me. Thats not bitterness, just the truth.
(On her conception) I was a bet. My mum was desperate for another child, and my dad told her that the only way they could afford to have one was if she sold a play. So Mum wrote When I Was a Girl, I Used to Scream and Shout.
I dont think I can call myself an actress yet. I just dont think my skill level is that high. I hope that with every job it gets better. But until Im good, I can say Im trying to be an actor, but I dont think Ive completely made it.
As a moviegoer and a woman, I want to see that, so its great to get to play parts like that. But Guinevere is a terrifying creature. If I saw a battle, Id run in the other direction. Im not strong in that way at all. But Im certainly someone who has always known what I wanted and tried to get it.
In this business, fame lasts for a second. You can be blown up and be blown down. People keep losing interest in faces because new ones come along every single second. Im one at the moment. Tomorrow I wont be. Thats cool. Im not saying that when it does end, Ill be like, Yay! Its ending. But Ill move on and do something else because thats what has to be done. Its about survival. If youre sad about it, then youre in the wrong job.
(On actresses living in Hollywood) I take my hat off to actresses there, particularly the young ones, because the emphasis is on trying to find perfection. But I think its the imperfections in people that make them perfect. I dont find perfect faces very interesting.
Acting requires me to be very observant, which means being able to sit in cafes for hours and watch people.
I dont have a problem with my body. Im not just going to strip off all my clothing, but if the part calls for it and I dont think theres any way round, Im absolutely fine.
Im a bit of a tomboy so the action stuff was fantastic.
Its also strange when people recognise you in the street and they know you but you dont know them. Its a little weird, but nothing to complain about.
Id wanted to get stuck into the action on Pirates of the Caribbean and I asked Jerry [Jerry Bruckheimer ] if I could have a sword fight in that, and he more than made up for it in King Arthur (2004) by giving me axe fights, knife fights, and all the rest of it. I absolutely loved it. It was like being 11 years old and in the playground again.
It was part of the job. Theres no point in being embarrassed about it, because that is the name of the game. It was just another day at the office. A very nice day at the office. [on the love scene with Clive Owen in King Arthur (2004) ]
I dont think about nutrition. The very thought of a diet makes me want chips and ice cream. And I just hate going to the gym. I cannot stand it.
The fact that we havent focused on the love triangle between Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere was actually one of the things that made me want to do the film. Its interesting to tell it in a completely new way.
Every part Ive ever got, I always thought it was completely ridiculous that I was up for it. With Pirates, I only packed for a week because I was sure that I was going to get sacked. I thought theyd made the hugest mistake.
Were all fans of cinema, you know. Forget about being an actor, I love watching films. I really do. Thats what I love doing, as a hobby. I find the whole process fascinating, as do my parents, they go to the cinema a lot.
I dont do a thing to keep fit, I just cannot make myself work out. My abs are just luck - my mum has good ones so its a family trait.
I dont read any magazines or newspapers any more, because I find it really scary and I get really scared when Im followed by photographers. I have, on many occasions, broken down in tears because I find it terrifying. I dropped out of school when I was 16 so theres nothing else that I can do.
I dont like parties very much. Im not a very sociable being.
Ive always been quite tomboyish.
In LA, Im twice the size- height and everything else- of most of the other actresses who are going for an audition.
Three years after that I was diagnosed as dyslexic, and we struck a deal: I was allowed to start acting on condition that I would read constantly and get good grades at school.
I always feel like Im the one with everything to prove.
I paint and draw, but very badly.
Talking about her possibly being anorexic: "Ive got a lot of experience with anorexia. It was in my family. My grandmother, and my great-grandmother suffered from it and I had a lot of friends at school who suffer from it so I dont think its anything to be taken lightly."
A newspaper here voted me one of the scruffiest people in Britain. Im quite proud of that. Its completely true.
I suppose Im more of a tomboy than the girly-girl, which is why I cant walk on stilettos very well.
I do remember, at six, thinking I should be earning my own living. My mum says I was born 45.
The most fantastic date Ive ever had was going bowling, because I dont bowl and Im awful.
There are pressures to conform to a certain type, tall, blonde, thin, big breasts, you know - The Type.
Last year I went to the Vanity Fair party after the Oscars and I stood in the corner and had a lot of champagne. Its very, very scary.
Im dyslexic, and at six years old they realized I couldnt read a word and had been fooling them. My mum said to me: If you come to me with a book in your hand and a smile on your face every day through the summer holiday, Ill get you an agent.
I dont court attention, which is why Ive never been to nightclubs like Chinawhite.
Im not a social person, so I really have very few friends in the business.
To be honest, Id sooner be with my mates having a pint.
If I have a dark side, I havent discovered it yet. How very boring of me.
Producers usually hire a stylist for me when I got to premieres because they think Im so pathetic.
Im incredibly self-conscious about my body.
Theres no individuality on the red carpet. Thats why I loved Björk s Oscar swan dress. I wish I had the courage.
[Guinevere] "Shes very manipulative and calculating and would use whomever to get her own way, whether it was with her sexuality or by killing someone. It felt very empowering playing her!"
People send over dresses for me to wear to these functions, but I often feel like a 5-year-old in my moms clothes. So I just wear jeans and a top every single time.
People said to me yesterday, How does it feel to be anorexic? I had no idea that I was. I can safely say that Im not. Ive got a lot of experience with anorexia. My grandmother and great-grandmother suffered from it. In a way its good that its out there and people are talking about it. Its quite interesting because its normally high-achieving women who suffer from it because, I guess, theyre control freaks.
Nudity frightens me, but I will do it when I think its necessary - or when it makes me giggle.
The most exercise I do is turning on the television.
Im naturally an extremely lazy person, so if someone did everything for me, I really think I would do nothing at all.
I dont read anything and I dont look at newspapers. Its too weird, so Im not really aware of hype anywhere.
I think I always disappoint people, because they always expect someone very pretty. Very done. Theres so much pressure to be thin, blonde and busty. Im skinny, but even I couldnt fit into some of the clothes there (in L.A.)!" In a funny kind of way, I think you create it yourself. I think its much better to go with the flow and embrace your body, whatever shape it is, and just be happy.
"The Celts wouldve been fighting naked and painted blue, but there was no way I was going to do that. Having a bare midriff and running around killing people was fun. But you dont want to see boobs bumping up and down on a battlefield. It would be distracting" On modesty over historical accuracy in King Arthur (2004) .
[on turning her back on Hollywood blockbuster adventure films]: I cant imagine ever doing another one. I had five months off from "Pirates" during the summer last year, when I made Silk and Atonement (2007) , and it was so great - I want to be able to explore emotions in smaller projects. Thats not to say I wont suddenly read a big Hollywood blockbuster and go oooh, that might be good... But I havent yet.
I was literally sewn into these dresses. Because of that, and the hoops, I just couldnt fit into the loo at all - I just had to hang on all day. - On her costumes for The Duchess (2008) .
I think its important to make time for the people in your life who you love and who love you back.
[on her wardrobe] I go for whatever is clean.
[on being asked if she would go out with Robbie Williams ] I dont know, I dont know him. Hes very good looking though.
I tried college for three months but I was desperately unhappy. I just wanted to perform. I was getting straight As but I had no friends and cried every day.
I could never have an affair with any of my leading men, though. They always turn into brothers. Im a classic turn-them-into-brothers kind of girl.
On screen these days, you rarely see a big, strong man. You see slender, androgynous-looking boys. Ive worked with very few people whom I feel small against. The most manly thing ever is a guy who can cry, whos in touch with himself.
I love working in Britain because it is my home and it means I can be with my friends and family and work at the same time. If you are working in Britain, a lot of the time you are doing much smaller budget. I like doing a mixture of both. Early on in my career I did some enormously huge-budget films, and to be able to switch it up a bit and do small-budget ones is great as well.
(On being famous) I think it broke something in me. I was told very early on that if I didnt go out to openings and parties and events I would be left alone. I didnt, and they still didnt leave me alone. I knew it was part of the deal in the life I had signed up to, but the fear of it has never left me. Im still not good at being recognized. I wear scruffy clothes and hats and keep my head down.
[on Never Let Me Go (2010) ] I thought that Ruth was fascinating. For me, it was kind of a study of jealousy. She had a great path and I thought it would be an interesting thing to try and get into her head. I didnt like her. Its tricky playing people that you dont like and finding a way to empathize with them. Its challenging and very exciting for an actor.
I started acting when I was 7, but I asked for an agent when I was 3. I dont remember it, but thats what everybody says. I dont think I knew what agents did, but I thought it was kind of unfair that my mom and dad had one and I didnt.
I’m a total romantic — I love romantic films, but I don’t like being raped by sugar.
[on performing certain scenes in A Dangerous Method (2011) ] I phoned up David (David Cronenberg ) and said, I love you, I love your work, but I really dont think that I want to do this. And he said, Well it would be a tragedy if you turned the role down because of that, so if necessary we can take them out. And I said, No, because I understand why they are there. He said, Well, look, I dont want it to be sexy, and I dont want it to be voyeuristic, I want it to be clinical. We talked for quite a long time about exactly what it was, and trying to understand it psychologically. Once we discussed I said, All right, fine, as long as its not sexy. That brutal horrible aspect is kept, and it isnt a sexy spanking scene.
The first thing I knew about Never Let Me Go (2010) was the script that came through my door. I thought it was a completely unique piece. Id never read anything like it. I then started talking to friends and saying, "I might do this film. I think its really interesting." And tons of them were saying, "This is my favorite book in the entire world." Actually, one said the most terrifying thing: "It sums up our generation." Which, now having read the book, I find it a bleak prospect indeed. But then when I said yes, I read the book, and I thought it was completely astonishing and, once again, completely unique. And its very exciting to be part of something like that.
When you do the Hollywood vibe on a big film you are shot from the perfect angle and you do tests to make sure, so they wont shoot you from this or that angle. With The Jacket (2005) you look shit and thats great. It didnt matter what angle they wanted to film from. I didnt have to look perfect. Its all about finding the truth in any situation and the situation in this wasnt a pretty one.
[on picking her roles] I have to think, wow, Im fascinated, but I also get to read this amazing book. For A Dangerous Method (2011) , I didnt know anything about psychoanalysis, so to get to spend [months] reading as much as I could is one of the parts of the job I fucking love.
[on playing the title role in Anna Karenina] I think shame is a deeply difficult thing to live with, and I think she breaks her own moral code. What happens to your own perception of yourself when you break your own moral code? You always make yourself into the heroine, but equally you have self-hatred. She is the heroine and the anti- heroine. She is the perfect narcissist. She hates herself and she loves herself.
The thing about great fictional characters from literature is that they completely speak to what makes people human.
Im good enough to fake playing guitar. Im not necessarily good enough to actually play the guitar. Ive found something really interesting, I dont really like singing, its not really one of my strong points. Dancing as well, I dance a lot in Anna Karenina (2012/I) and thats really not a strong point either. But Im good enough to fake both of them so thats fine.
[on being relieved that Mr. Cherkaoui never fixated on perfection] There was no point where he went, Oh, Ive got a bunch of actors who arent dancers, so Im going to simplify this. He was just, Thats what it is, so do it and do it better. Trying to tell this particular story in those two different ways was fascinating.
[on yoga classes being recommended to assist in developing her characterization of Anna Karenina] Marathon training would have been slightly more helpful.
[on being asked, for Anna Karenina, to improvise - through movement -characters relationships] I started off feeling incredibly stupid and going, I dont know how to do this. What do you mean? Movement? Im not a dancer. And he [Cherkaoui] said, I dont care that youre not a dancer - just move in any way you want to within the story of these two people. That was incredibly liberating and something we used right through the film.
Without going into my own history with therapy, I think a lot of people seek therapy in England, whether its therapy itself or something like acupuncture. To me, its extraordinary when anybody recognizes in themselves that they need help and goes and seeks it. They have nothing but my utmost respect.
Anna Karenina did come home a couple of times. Because this was so stylized, we had to do it a million different ways, a million different times, through mirrors and twirling into something, so it meant everyone had to keep that level of emotion really high through different 14-hour days. So they did sometimes bleed over into one another.
They always pencil in my boobs. I was only angry when they were really, really droopy. For King Arthur (2004) , for a poster, they gave me these really strange droopy tits. I dont have tits anyway but they digitally made them, and I thought, "Whoa if youre going to make me fantasy breasts, at least make them perky".

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Keira Knightley Photoshoots

"Celebrity Skin" (USA), October 2011, Iss. 8, pg. 44, "English Muffins: Keira Knightley"
"TVFilm" (Netherlands), 19 December 2009, Vol. 26, "Remake My Fair Lady"
"V&D" (Netherlands), 14 December 2009, "King Arthur"
"Playboy" (USA), February 2009, Vol. 56, Iss. 2, pg. 52, by: staff, "The Year In Sex"
"Celebrity Skin" (USA), January 2009, Vol. 31, Iss. 186, pg. 40, "Unforgettable Nudes Of 2008:Keira Knightley"
"Playboy" (USA), December 2008, Vol. 55, Iss. 12, pg. 74, by: Stephen Rebello, "Sex In Cinema 2008"
"Veronica" (Netherlands), 23 April 2008, Iss. 15, by: Sunshine, "Corsage"
"Celebrity Sleuth" (USA), 2007, Iss. 49, pg. 40-43, by: staff, "Anatomy Awards 11: Pride and Prejudice"
"Zoo Weekly" (UK), 31 March 2006, Iss. 111, pg. 40, by: staff, "The HOT List: #5 - Keira Knightley Moves In"
"Playboy" (USA), March 2006, Vol. 53, Iss. 3, pg. 153, by: Splash News, "Grapevine: Keira Knippley"
"Celebrity Sleuth" (USA), 2006, Iss. 42, pg. 72-75, by: staff, "Oughta Be Illegal: Domino Effect"
"Playboy" (USA), September 2005, Vol. 52, Iss. 9, pg. 165, by: Zuma Press, "Grapevine: A Knightley to Remember"
"Stuff" (USA), January 2005, Vol. 8, Iss. 1, pg. 94-98, by: Robert Wyatt, "A Knightley's Tale"
"Celebrity Skin" (USA), September 2004, Iss. 132, pg. 89, by: staff, "Top 100 Sexiest Stars #27: Keira Knightley"
"Playboy" (USA), July 2004, Vol. 51, Iss. 7, pg. 36, by: staff, "Sleaze Frame: Keira Knightley"
"Celebrity Sleuth" (USA), June 2004, Iss. 32, pg. 4-7, by: staff, "Bend It Like Crazy!"
"Celebrity Sleuth" (USA), 2004, Iss. 36, pg. 84-87, by: staff, "The 25 Sexiest Women of 2005 - #2: Keira Knightley"
"Empire" (UK), September 2003, Iss. 171, pg. 1+42+66-67+84-88+91, "The Rose In Bloom"
"Celebrity Adult Spy" (UK), 31 December 2002, Vol. 1, Iss. 4, pg. 13, "Dr. Zhivago's Bird Gets 'Em Out!"
"ES Magazine" (UK), 12 April 2002, pg. 46-48, by: Nick Briggs, "She scores"

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Keira Knightley Other Works

(2003) Became a model for Asprey Diamonds
Model for Japanese brand "Lux".
(1999) Played "Polly" in BBC Radio Play of 'Charlotte Brontë' 's "Villette".
(2000) Starred in the BBC Radio play "A High Wind In Jamaica".
(2007) Starred in a commercial for Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle perfume directed
by 'Joe Wright (IV)' .
(2007) Modeled for a series of print ads for Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle
perfume.
(2005) Modeled for the American Library Association's "Read" program. She was
photographed holding a copy of 'Jane Austen (I)' 's "Pride & Prejudice".
(2008) Became a spokesperson for the human rights charity Amnesty International
(2009) Starred in a public service announcement about domestic abuse directed by 'Joe Wright (IV)' for Women's Aid.
(December 2009-March 2010) Starred as "Jennifer" in a modern adaptation of 'Molière' 's "The Misanthrope" at the Comedy Theatre in London's West End. She received a 'Laurence Olivier' Award nomination and an Evening Standard Theatre Award nomination for her performance.
(2010) TV commercial for "Coco Mademoiselle" perfume from Chanel. Red silk gown by 'Karl Lagerfeld' . Soundtrack song "L-O-V-E" sung by 'Joss Stone' . Art direction: 'Jacques Hélleu' . Director: 'Joe Wright (IV)' . Location: Paris.
(24 January 2011 to 11 May 2011) Starred as Karen Wright alongside 'Elisabeth Moss' in an adaptation of 'Lillian Hellman' 's "The Children's Hour" directed by 'Ian Rickson' at the Comedy Theatre in London's West End.
(2011) TV commercial (with 'Alberto Ammann' for "Coco Mademoiselle" French perfume from Chanel. Soundtrack theme song "It's a Man's World" sung by 'Joss Stone' with direction by 'Joe Wright (IV)'
(2011) Print ads for Coco Chanel's Mademoiselle fragrance.

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Keira Knightley Trademarks

Often stars in period pieces

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