Keira Knightley

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At the age of 20, Keira Knightley possesses the grace and charisma of an actress twice her age.

Only 17 when principal photography began on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, she met the many challenges presented by a difficult and physically taxing role with excitement and ardor. She will continue as Elizabeth Swann in the next two installments of the Pirates series set to go before cameras in February 2005.

Knightley made headlines in the worldwide sleeper hit, Bend it Like Beckham as Jules Paxton opposite Parminder K. Nagra. After wrapping Pirates of the Caribbean, she went straight into production on another Jerry Bruckheimer Films production, King Arthur, in which she portrayed Guinevere. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film also starred Clive Owen as Arthur.

Released in November 2003, Knightley appeared in Love Actually as part of an impressive ensemble cast that included Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson. She also starred in the film Pure, which opened in December 2003. Among her additional credits are The Hole, Princess of Thieves, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, The Beginning and Innocent Lie.

Knightley most recently completed production on Pride and Prejudice for Working Title Films and director Joe Wright in which she stars as Elizabeth Bennet with Brenda Blethyn, Judi Dench and Donald Sutherland. Most recently she starred opposite Adrien Brody in the Warner Bros. Independent thriller The Jacket, directed by John Maybury. The film costars Kris Kristofferson and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Born in Teddington, Middlesex, England, Knightley currently makes her home in London.

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