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Keira Knightley

Keira Knightley

Birthday: 1985-03-26 | Place of Birth: Teddington, London, England, UK

Keira Christina Knightley (born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. She has starred in both independent films and big-budget blockbusters, and is particularly noted for her roles in period dramas. Her accolades include two Empire Awards and nominations for two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, one Screen Actors Guild Award and one Laurence Olivier Award. Knightley was appointed an OBE in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity. Born in London to actors Will Knightley and Sharman Macdonald, Knightley obtained an agent at age six, and initially worked commercials and television films. She appeared as Sabé, Padmé Amidala's handmaiden, in science fiction blockbuster Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). Knightley had a break-through role portraying a tomboy footballer in the sports film Bend It Like Beckham (2002). She achieved global stardom with her portrayal of Elizabeth Swann in fantasy swashbuckler series Pirates of the Caribbean. In the same year, she appeared in the Christmas romantic comedy Love Actually (2003) and was labelled a promising teen star. For her portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet in the period romance Pride & Prejudice (2005), Knightley was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. At age 20, she became the third-youngest Best Actress nominee at the time. Knightley starred in a series of further period pieces, portraying a complex love interest in Atonement (2007), tastemaker Georgiana Cavendish in The Duchess (2008), and the titular socialite in Anna Karenina (2012). She then forayed into contemporary dramas, appearing as an aspiring musician in Begin Again (2013) and a medical student in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014). Knightley returned to historical films by playing cryptoanalyst Joan Clarke in The Imitation Game (2014), earning her a second round of Academy Award and BAFTA nominations, and starred as the eponymous belle époque writer in Colette (2018) to critical acclaim. On stage, Knightley has appeared in two West End productions: The Misanthrope in 2009, which earned her an Olivier Award nomination, and The Children's Hour in 2011. She also starred as the eponymous heroine in the 2015 Broadway production of Thérèse Raquin. Knightley is known for her outspoken stance on social issues, and has worked extensively with Amnesty International, Oxfam, and Comic Relief. She is married to musician James Righton, with whom she has two daughters.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

2022
Charlotte

as    Charlotte Salomon (voice)

2021
Silent Night

as    Nell

2020
Misbehaviour

as    Sally Alexander

2019
Official Secrets

as    Katharine Gun

2019
The Aftermath

as    Rachael Morgan

2018
Colette

as    Colette

2018
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

as    Sugar Plum Fairy

2017
Red Nose Day Actually

as    Juliet

2016
Collateral Beauty

as    Amy Moore

2015
Everest

as    Jan Arnold

2014
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

as    Cathy Muller

2014
Begin Again

as    Gretta James

2014
The Imitation Game

as    Joan Clarke

2014
Laggies

as    Megan Burch

2012
Anna Karenina

as    Anna Karenina

2012
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

as    Penelope "Penny" Lockhart

2011
Last Night

as    Joanna Reed

2011
A Dangerous Method

as    Sabina Spielrein

2011
Neverland

as    Tinkerbell (voice)

2010
London Boulevard

as    Charlotte

2010
Never Let Me Go

as    Ruth C.

2009
The Edge of Love

as    Vera Phillips

2008
The Duchess

as    Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire

2007
Atonement

as    Cecilia Tallis

2007
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

as    Elizabeth Swann

2007
Silk

as    Hélène Joncour

2006
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

as    Elizabeth Swann