Keira Knightley - Movies, Husband & Age - Biography

Keira Knightley is a British actress known for films like 'Bend It Like Beckham,' 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'Atonement.' SkiptomaincontentPeopleNostalgiaCelebrityHistory&CultureCrime&ScandalVideoAboutContactUsAdvertisePrivacyNoticeTermsofUseCopyrightPolicyAdChoicesAccessibilitySupportPrivacySettingsDecember7,2021PeopleNostalgiaCelebrityHistory&CultureCrime&ScandalVideo Photo:AlbertoE.Rodriguez/GettyImagesQuickFactsNameKeiraKnightleyBirthDatec.March26,1985(age36)EducationEsherCollegePlaceofBirthLondon,England,UnitedKingdomFullNameKeiraChristinaKnightleyZodiacSignAriesWhoIsKeiraKnightley?MoviesHusband&ChildCiteThisPageQUOTES1of3“Dollhouseswereabigthinginmychildhood.Iwasalwaysmakingupstories,playingwiththemforhours.Iguessthat'swhyI'manactress:Ineverstoppedwantingtoplay.”“Yougivebirthtosomethingandyougo,automatically,‘Iwoulddieforit,’andyoudon’tfeellikethatforanyotherthing.Thislittlethingthat’sscreamingatme,andthere’sabsolutelynoquestion.Andthat’sdark,andit’sdeep,andit’svery,very,verystrange.”“I’mnotsayingbadreviewsorthingslikethatdon’thurt,becauseofcoursetheydo,andthey’redesignedtoandtheyshouldhurt.ButalsoIcan’ttakethemtooseriously.You’rebasicallysayingyoudon’tlikeitwhenIpretendtobesomeoneelse?OK,cool.”—KeiraKnightleyCommentKeiraKnightleyisaBritishactressknownforfilmslike'BendItLikeBeckham,''PiratesoftheCaribbean'and'Atonement.'WhoIsKeiraKnightley?ActressKeiraKnightleymadeherfilmdebutattheageofnineinAVillageAffair(1994).HerfirstmajorpartcameinStarWars:Episode1-ThePhantomMenaceandshethenbecamewell-knownforherperformanceastomboyfootballerJuliette"Jules"PaxtoninBendItLikeBeckham.Herlaterfilmsinclude Atonement,PiratesoftheCaribbean,ADangerousMethod andAnnaKarenina.ShehasalsoearnedOscarnominationsforherrolesinPride&PrejudiceandTheImitationGame. EarlyLifeandCareerBorninLondon,England,onMarch26,1985,KeiraChristinaKnightleygrewupinashow-businessfamily.HerfatherisactorWillKnightleyandhermotherisplaywrightSharmanMacdonald.ShegrewupinaLondonsuburbwithherolderbrotherCaleb.KnightleylatertoldMarieClairethatplayingwithdollhousesmayhaveinfluencedhercareerchoice:"Dollhouseswereabigthinginmychildhood,"shesaid."Iwasalwaysmakingupstories,playingwiththemforhours.Iguessthat'swhyI'manactress:Ineverstoppedwantingtoplay."Knightleyfirstaskedforherownagentattheageofthreeandfinallygotonewhenshewassixyearsold.SchoolwasnoteasyforKnightleyasshestruggledwithdyslexia.Movies'StarWars:Episode1-ThePhantomMenace'Knightleyhadherfirstprofessionalactingjobattheageofseven,andwentontomakeastringofappearancesonBritishtelevision.Inhermid-teens,shelandedherfirstmajorroleinthefilmStarWars:Episode1-ThePhantomMenace(1999).Thatsameyear,KnightleyhadasupportingroleinthetelevisionminiseriesOliverTwistwithSamSmith,JulieWaltersandRobertLindsay.'BendItLikeBeckham'In2002,KnightleyhadacareerbreakthroughwithBendItLikeBeckham.SheplayedtomboysoccerplayerJuliette"Jules"Paxtoninthissurprisehit.Shealsoshowedherselftobearisk-takerthatsameyear,playingthefemaleleadintheTVfilmDoctorZhivago.KnightleytackledarolethatJulieChristiemadefamousinthe1962featurefilm.'PiratesoftheCaribbean:TheCurseoftheBlackPearl'Knightleylandedherfirstblockbusterhitin2003withPiratesoftheCaribbean:TheCurseoftheBlackPearl.BasedonarideatDisneyland,thisadventuretalestarredJohnnyDeppasthenotoriouspirate,CaptainJackSparrow.Knightley'scharacter,ElizabethSwann,gotcaughtupintheactionalongwithWillTurner(OrlandoBloom),andshereprisedherroleinthefilm's2006and2007sequels.READNEXTDuaLipa(1995–)OliviaRodrigo(2003–)MeganTheeStallion(1995–)'PrideandPrejudice'KnightleyplayedGuineverein2004'sKingArthurwithCliveOwenandIoanGruffudd.Thefollowingyear,KnightleystarredinascreenadaptationofJaneAusten'sPrideandPrejudice,directedbyJoeWright.SheearnedanAcademyAwardnominationforherworkinthefilm.Thenin2008,KnightleyplayedthetitlecharacterinTheDuchess,abiopicofan18thcenturyroyal."Idoalotofperiodpiecesbecausethat’smytaste,becauseIwanttoworkinEurope,becausethat’smyhomeandgenerallyspeakingthat’swhat’smadeinEngland,”Knightleylatersaidina2015NewYorkTimesinterview.“Ilovehistory,youknow,butactuallybecausethey’vebeenthemostinterestingcharactersformethatI’vebeenoffered.” 'LoveActually,''ADangerousMethod'Knightleyhasnonethelesshandledhistorical,contemporaryandfuturisticroleswithequalease.SheappearedinthepopularensembledramaticcomedyLoveActually(2003).Knightlaterco-starredinthequietscience-fictiontaleNeverLetMeGo(2010)withAndrewGarfieldandCareyMulligan,andthenportrayedreal-worldpioneeringpsychoanalystSabinaSpielreninADangerousMethod(2011). 'ImitationGame,''BeginAgain'Knightleycontinuedtotackleavarietyofroles.In2012she appearedoppositeSteveCarellintheapocalyptictaleSeekingaFriendfortheEndoftheWorldandalsoreturnedtosumptuousperiodgarbtostarinAnnaKarenina.JudeLawplaysAnna'srepressedhusbandinthefilm,andAaronTaylor-Johnsonco-starsasAnna'slover.TheactresswentontoworkinJackRyan:ShadowRecruit(2014),aspythrillerfollowingthelifeofthepopularCIAanalystcharacterofthesamename.ChrisPinewascastasRyanwhileKnightleyportrayed fiancée Cathy.In2014Knightleyalsoco-starredinthemusiccomedy/dramaBeginAgainwithMarkRuffalo andtheromanticcomedyLaggies.Duringthefall,shewasfeaturedasacode-breakingwhizintheWWIIdramaTheImitationGame,earningbothGoldenGlobeandOscarnominationsforSupportingActress.Thefollowingyear,KnightleymadeherBroadwaydebutintheplay ThérèseRaquin,basedonthe1867 ÉmileZola novelaboutabeleagueredmarriedwomanwhogoesdownanillicitpath.Husband&ChildInMay2012,KnightleyannouncedherengagementtoBritishmusicianJamesRightonoftheKlaxons.SheandRightonwedinearlyMay2013,andKnightleygavebirthtotheirfirstchildinMay2015,adaughternamedEdie.FactCheckWestriveforaccuracyandfairness.Ifyouseesomethingthatdoesn'tlookright,contactus!CitationInformationArticleTitleKeiraKnightleyBiographyAuthorBiography.comEditorsWebsiteNameTheBiography.comwebsiteURLhttps://www.biography.com/actor/keira-knightleyAccessDatePublisherA&ETelevisionNetworksLastUpdatedJuly1,2020OriginalPublishedDateApril2,2014CommentBIOGRAPHYNEWSLETTERSubscribetotheBiographynewslettertoreceivestoriesaboutthepeoplewhoshapedourworldandthestoriesthatshapedtheirlives.SIGNUPMORESTORIESFROMBIOGRAPHYPersonIdrisElbaIdrisElbaisanaward-winningBritishactorknownforrolesinscreenprojectslike'TheWire,''Luther,''Thor,''Mandela:LongWalktoFreedom'and'TheDarkTower.'(1972–)PersonChristianBaleChristianBaleisanAcademyAward-winningactorwhohasstarredinsuchfilmsas'AmericanPsycho,''TheFighter'andChristopherNolan's'Batman'trilogy.(1974–)PersonAlanRickmanAlanRickmanisbestknownforportrayingmemorablevillainsinfilmslike'DieHard'andthe'HarryPotter'filmseries.(1946–2016)PersonCharlieChaplinCharlieChaplinwasacomedicBritishactorwhobecameoneofthebiggeststarsofthe20thcentury'ssilent-filmera.(1889–1977)PersonRupertGrintRupertGrintisaBritishactorbestknownforhisroleasHarryPotter'sbestfriendRonWeasleyinthefilmseriesbasedonJ.K.Rowling'sbest-sellingbooks.(1988–)PersonKateWinsletOscarwinnerKateWinslethasstarredinanumberofacclaimedfilms.Shegainedfameintheblockbuster'Titanic'andhasalsostarredin'LittleChildren,''TheHoliday'and'MildredPierce.'(1975–)PersonSaoirseRonanOscarnomineeSaoirseRonanisanIrishactressbestknownforherrolesinsuchfilmsas'Atonement,''TheLovelyBones,''LadyBird'and'LittleWomen.'(1994–)PersonTomHardyTomHardyisaBritishactorbestknownforhisrolesinfilmslike'Inception,''MadMax:FuryRoad'and'TheRevenant.'(1977–)PersonOrlandoBloomOrlandoBloomisapopularBritishactorandheartthrobknownforhisrolesin'TheLordoftheRings'and'PiratesoftheCaribbean'films.(1977–)Loading…SeeMoreCLOSECLOSECLOSECLOSE