More Keira Knightley Bios & Profiles
The most recent Keira Knightley biography is published on the main page.
Biography #2 (for Atonement)
Keira Knightley starred for Atonement director Joe Wright in Pride & Prejudice, also for Focus Features and Working Title Films. Ms. Knightley's portrayal of Jane Austen's heroine Elizabeth Bennet earned her Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Critics' Choice Award, and London Film Critics Circle award nominations, among others; and the Best Actress citation from New York Film Critics Online.She is also known to audiences worldwide for her portrayal of another heroine, Elizabeth Swann, in Gore Verbinski's blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean trio (respectively, The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man's Chest, and At World's End), all of which starred her opposite Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom for producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
Ms. Knightley had earlier starred in Gurinder Chadha's sleeper hit Bend It Like Beckham, for which she was honored with the London Critics Circle Award for British Newcomer of the Year. Her other films include Richard Curtis' Love Actually, also for Working Title; Tony Scott's Domino, as the late bounty hunter Domino Harvey; John Maybury's The Jacket; Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur, again for producer Jerry Bruckheimer, as Guinevere; Gillies Mackinnon's Pure; and George Lucas' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, in which she had her first big-screen role.
The U.K. native acquired an agent at an early age, and appeared in her first television drama, Ferdinand Fairfax' Royal Celebration, at the age of 6. Her subsequent television credits included playing Lara in Giacomo Campiotti's miniseries remake of Doctor Zhivago .
Ms. Knightley's most recent films are François Girard's Silk, opposite Michael Pitt; and the just-wrapped The Edge of Love. The latter project reunites her with director John Maybury and also stars Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy, and Matthew Rhys.
for "Atonement" updated 14-Mar-2010
Biography #3 (for Domino)
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.
Bio courtesy New Line Cinema for "Domino" (16-Oct-2005)
Biography #4 (for King Arthur)
Since she played the tomboyish Juliette in the hit comedy Bend It Like Beckham, Keira Knightley's rise has been meteoric. After playing the role of Lara in the TV mini-series Doctor Zhivago, the Londonborn actress went on to star opposite Johnny Depp in the swashbuckling adventure drama Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.Knightley, who is the daughter of playwright Sharman MacDonald and the actor Will Knightley, first acted in school and youth club productions. She made her movie debut as Natasha Jordan in A Village Affair and followed that with parts in Innocent Lies, Treasure Seekers, and Coming Home. But her first major role was as a handmaiden to Queen Amidala in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Since then, she has been seen in the TV mini-series Oliver Twist, Princess of Thieves, and the psychological thriller The Hole. After Bend It Like Beckham, she appeared in Gillies MacKinnon's Pure.
Knightley was most recently seen as part of an impressive ensemble cast that includes Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson in Richard Grant's Love Actually. She will next star opposite Jude Law and Jim Broadbent in Tulip Fever, to be directed by John Madden.
Bio courtesy Buena Vista for "King Arthur" (03-Jul-2004)
Biography #5 (for Pirates of the Caribbean)
At the age of 18, Keira Knightley possesses the grace and charisma of an actress twice her age. Despite being 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.Knightley can currently be seen in the worldwide sleeper hit Bend it Like Beckham as Jules Paxton opposite Parminder K. Nagra. She is currently at work on the newest Jerry Bruckheimer Films production, King Arthur. The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, begins shooting in Ireland in July. Knightley portrays Guinevere opposite Clive Owen as Arthur.
Set for release in early November 2003 is Love Actually, with Knightley as part of an impressive ensemble cast that includes Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson. She also stars in the upcoming film Pure, which is currently scheduled to open in December 2003.
Among Knightley's additional credits are The Hole, Princess of Thieves, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, The Beginning and Innocent Lie.
Bio courtesy Disney for "Pirates of the Caribbean" (01-Jan-2000)