Keira Knightley’s Biography

Keira Knightley Biography

Keira Christina Knightley was born in the South London suburb of Richmond on March 26, 1985. At the age of 3, she was already asking her father (actor Will Knightley) and mother (playwright Sharman MacDonald) for her own agent. She got one at the age of 6. She scored her first TV role at the age of 7, and her first film role at 9.

Early on, it was discovered that Keira had trouble reading and writing. She was not officially diagnosed as “dyslexic” since she never sat the formal tests required of the British Dyslexia Association. Keira worked hard and overcame the problem with the encouragement of her family.

In summer of 2001, she sat her final school exams and earned six A’s! The same year, she fimed “Bend it Like Beckham”, which was a smash hit in Britain.

Since then, Keira Knightley has gone on to become one of the most highly respected and acclaimed actresses in the world. She could literally walk into any audition and become a major contender for whatever role she set her sights on!

From Wikipedia.org:

Knightley began her acting career at the age of seven, making her television debut in Royal Celebration (1993) and also appearing on the television series, The Bill (1995). She appeared in several more made-for-television films in the mid to late 1990s, before being cast as Sabé, Padmé Amidala’s decoy, in the 1999 science fiction blockbuster Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Knightley was cast in the role due to her close resemblance to Natalie Portman, who played Padmé; the two actresses’ mothers had difficulty telling their daughters apart when they were heavily made up. Knightley’s first starring role followed in 2001, when she played the daughter of Robin Hood in a made-for-television Walt Disney Productions feature, Princess of Thieves. During this time period, Knightley also appeared in The Hole, a thriller that received a direct-to-video release in the United States. She also appeared in a mini-series adaptation of Doctor Zhivago that was first aired in 2002.

Knightley’s breakthrough role was in the English football-themed film, Bend It Like Beckham, which was a major success in its August 2002 UK release, and did fairly well at the box office upon its United States release in March 2003, grossing $32 million. After Bend It Like Beckham’s UK release raised her profile, she was cast in the big budget action film, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and opened in July 2003 to positive reviews and a high box office gross, becoming one of the biggest hits of summer 2003 and cementing Knightley as a leading actress. Knightley had a role in the British romantic comedy Love Actually, which opened in November 2003. Her next film, King Arthur, opened in July 2004 and received mixed reviews, but was praised by critic Roger Ebert for “the considerable production qualities and the charisma of the actors, who bring more interest to the characters than they deserve”, Knightley being described as looking “simultaneously sexy and muddy”. In the same month, Knightley was voted by readers of Hello! magazine as the movie industry’s most promising teen star. Additionally, Time magazine noted in a 2004 feature that Knightley seemed dedicated to developing herself as a serious actress rather than a film star. Knightley starred in three 2005 films; The Jacket, a dark thriller that opened in March; director Tony Scott’s film Domino, which opened in October, was an action film inspired by the life of bounty hunter Domino Harvey; and finally Pride and Prejudice, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, in which Knightley played regency Englishwoman Elizabeth Bennet. The Jacket and Domino received mixed critical receptions and performed poorly at the box office, but Pride and Prejudice did well in the U.S. and opened at No. 1 in the UK box office, and is Knightley’s sixth film to do so. She received a Best Actress – Comedy/Musical Golden Globes nomination and an Academy Award for Best Actress nomination for the role, though she did not win either.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, was released on July 7, 2006.

Her popularity and fame have sadly made her fodder for endless gossip and speculation – and the media seems obsessed with her weight. Despite reports, Keira Knightley is not anorexic, but rather is simply a petite, thin and ridiculously gorgeous actress!

Keira lives in central London with her fiance (and co-star of Pride & Prejudice) Rupert Friend. She also once dated Irish (male) model Jamie Dornan, as well as actor Del Synnott. According to some reports, Del Synnott attempted suicide after their relationship ended. However, Del Synnott and Keira Knightley each deny these reports.

In July 2006, Keira Knightley stated that she has become a workaholic, saying that “the last five years have blended into one. I can’t tell you what was last year and what was the year before.” She also said that she is “working too much” and is “quite frightened that if I continue at this rate I will start to hate what I love.” As a result, Keira Knightley may take a one year break from acting to travel and focus on her personal life.

Keira Knightley is also a devoted supporter of West Ham United.