


She forayed into contemporary dramas, appearing as an aspiring musician in Begin Again (2013) and a medical student in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014). She starred in several more period pieces, playing a complex love interest in Atonement (2007), tastemaker Georgiana Cavendish in The Duchess (2008), and the titular socialite in Anna Karenina (2012). She appeared in the romantic comedy Love Actually (2003) and was labelled a promising teen star.įor her portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet in the period romance Pride & Prejudice (2005), Knightley was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Her breakthrough came when she played a tomboy footballer in the sports film Bend It Like Beckham (2002), and went on to achieve global stardom for playing Elizabeth Swann in the swashbuckler fantasy series Pirates of the Caribbean, beginning in 2003. She had a minor role as Sabé in the space opera Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). īorn in London to actors Will Knightley and Sharman Macdonald, Knightley obtained an agent at age six and initially worked in commercials and television films. In 2018, she was appointed an OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to drama and charity. Known for her work in both independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received several accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, and a Laurence Olivier Award. Keira Christina Knightley OBE ( / ˈ k ɪər ə ˈ n aɪ t l i/ born 26 March 1985) is an English actress.
