Keira Knightley is an English actress who began her career by appearing in commercials and television films, including The Treasure Seekers (1996), Coming Home (1998), and Oliver Twist (1999)Biography Today, p. 85 before making her major motion picture debut in the space-opera epic Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) as Padmé Amidala's handmaiden. She portrayed the daughter of Robin Hood in the romantic adventure film Princess of Thieves (2001), her first starring role, and earned her breakthrough by playing a teen tomboy footballer in sports comedy Bend It Like Beckham (2002).Biography Today, p. 85 A year later, Knightley rose to global stardom after appearing as Elizabeth Swann in the fantasy swashbuckler film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, co-starring Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, for which she received two Saturn Award nominations, one for Best Supporting Actress.
She then appeared in the Richard Curtis-directed Christmas romance Love Actually (2003) as a woman whose fiancé's best man is secretly in love with her. Knightley portrayed the daughter of an alcoholic in the psychological thriller The Jacket (2005). She starred as Elizabeth Bennet in Joe Wright's romantic drama Pride & Prejudice (2005), for which Knightley received her first nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, becoming the third-youngest Best Actress nominee. The film clinched her long association with period dramas. She reprised her role as Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007); the former is her highest-grossing release. Knightley subsequently appeared in two wartime dramas; as a complex love interest in Wright's Atonement (2007), which earned her an Empire Award for Best Actress and a jazz singer in the biopic The Edge of Love (2008). She starred as eighteenth-century tastemaker Georgiana Cavendish in the drama The Duchess (2008), for which she received positive reviews.
She made her theatre debut as a shallow, amorous film star in The Misanthrope, which earned Knightley her a nomination for the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Play. Also on West End, she then portrayed a schoolteacher accused of lesbianism in The Children's Hour. She reunited with Wright for the third time with historical romance Anna Karenina (2012), playing the titular aristocratic socialite to critical acclaim. Knightley expanded into contemporary roles with musical drama Begin Again (2014), starring as an aspiring songwriter, and action thriller Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) as a medical student. Her role as an overeducated underachiever in the rom-com Laggies (2014) was followed by a return to historical parts as cryptanalyst Joan Clarke in the drama The Imitation Game (2014), which garnered Knightley an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. The following year, she made her Broadway debut in Thérèse Raquin playing a psychotic and repressed wife. Knightley appeared as the eponymous Belle Époque writer in biographical film Colette (2018) to positive reception. In wartime drama The Aftermath (2019), Knightley portrayed a cold, complex army wife. She starred in succeeding political dramas as whistleblower Katharine Gun in Official Secrets (2019) and feminist Sally Alexander in Misbehaviour (2020).
Film + Year Title Role Notes 1995 Innocent Lies Young Celia 1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Sabé Credit misspelled as "Kiera" Knightley 2001 Deflation Jogger Short film Frankie Smith 2002 Thunderpants Music School Student Uncredited Pure Louise Bend It Like Beckham Jules Paxton New Year's Eve Leah Short film Helena 2003 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Elizabeth Swann Love Actually Juliet Gaijin Kate Short film; voice role 2004 King Arthur Guinevere 2005 Jackie Price Pride & Prejudice Elizabeth Bennet Domino Domino Harvey 2006 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Elizabeth Swann 2007 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Atonement Cecilia Tallis Silk Hélène Joncour 2008 Vera Phillips Georgiana Cavendish 2009 The Continuing and Lamentable Saga of the Suicide Brothers Short film 2010 Never Let Me Go Ruth C Maze Constance Video installation Last Night Joanna Reed Steve Woman Short film London Boulevard Charlotte 2011 Sabina Spielrein 2012 Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Penelope Lockhart Anna Karenina Anna Arkadyevna Karenina 2013 Once Upon a Time Gabrielle Chanel Short film Begin Again Gretta James 2014 Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Cathy Muller Laggies Megan Burch Joan Clarke 2015 Everest Jan Hall 2016 Collateral Beauty Amy / "Love" 2017 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Elizabeth Swann-Turner Cameo 2018 Colette Gabrielle Colette The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Sugar Plum Fairy 2019 Official Secrets Katharine Gun Berlin, I Love You Jane Segment: "Under Your Feet" The Aftermath Rachael Morgan Greed Herself Cameo 2020 Misbehaviour Sally Alexander 2021 Charlotte Charlotte Salomon Voice role Silent Night Nell 2023 Boston Strangler Loretta McLaughlin 2025 The Woman in Cabin 10 Laura "Lo" Blacklock
Television
+ Year Title Role Notes 1993 Screen One Little Girl Episode: "Royal Celebration" 1995 Natasha Jordan Television film Sheena Rose Episode: "Swan Song" 1996 The Treasure Seekers The Princess Television film 1998 Coming Home Young Judith Dunbar 1999 Oliver Twist Rose Fleming Miniseries 2001Princess of Thieves Gwyn Television film 2002 Doctor Zhivago Lara Antipova Miniseries 2007 Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind Em Television short film; voice role 2011 Neverland Tinker Bell Miniseries; voice role 2017 Red Nose Day Actually Juliet Television short film 2024–present Black Doves Helen Webb Main role
Theatre Year Production Role Playwright Theatre 1999 After Juliet Rosaline Sharman Macdonald Heatham House Youth Centre, Twickenham 2009–2010 The Misanthrope Jennifer (Célimène) Molière Comedy Theatre, West End 2011 The Children's Hour Karen Wright Lillian Hellman Comedy Theatre, West End 2015 Thérèse Raquin Thérèse Raquin Helen Edmundson Roundabout Theatre Company, New York City 2026The Lives of OthersChrista-Maria SielandRobert IckeAdelphi Theatre, West End
Video games + List of video game credits Year Title Voice role Notes 2003 Pirates of the Caribbean Narrator
Music videos + List of music video credits Year Title Artist(s) Role Director(s) 2017 "Let Her Love In" Shock Machine (James Righton) The Girl with the Pink Dress James Righton
Radio + List of radio credits Year Title Voice role Notes 1999 Villette Polly
Audiobooks + List of audio books credits Year Title Voice role Notes TBA Dolores Umbridge
Discography Guest appearances + List of musical guest appearances Year Album Track(s) 2007Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End "Hoist the Colours" 2008 The Edge of Love "Overture / Blue Tahitian Moon" (featuring Angelo Badalamenti) "After the Bombing / Hang Out the Stars in Indiana" (featuring Angelo Badalamenti) "Drifting and Dreaming" (featuring Angelo Badalamenti) "Maybe It's Because I Love You Too Much" (featuring Angelo Badalamenti) 2014 Begin Again "Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home" "Lost Stars" "Like a Fool" "Coming Up Roses" "A Step You Can't Take Back" "Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home (Roof Top Mix)" (featuring Hailee Steinfeld)
See also List of British actors List of British Academy Award nominees and winners List of actors with Academy Award nominations List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories List of awards and nominations received by Keira Knightley
References