Keira Knightley
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- March 26, 1985
- Birthplace
- 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 the 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 the 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.
Filmography
- The Worst
The Worst TBA
as Holly
- Conception
Conception TBA
Actor
The Perfect Gift 2025
as Herself
The Woman in Cabin 10 2025
as Laura 'Lo' Blacklock
The Sound Collector 2024
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Boston Strangler 2023
as Loretta McLaughlin
Charlotte 2022
as Charlotte Salomon (voice), Executive Producer
Silent Night 2021
as Nell
Misbehaviour 2020
as Sally Alexander
Berlin, I Love You 2019
as Jane
Greed 2019
as Self
Official Secrets 2019
as Katharine Gun
The Aftermath 2019
as Rachael Morgan
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms 2018
as Sugar Plum Fairy
Colette 2018
as Colette
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales 2017
as Elizabeth Swann
Red Nose Day Actually 2017
as Juliet
Collateral Beauty 2016
as Amy Moore
Everest 2015
as Jan Arnold
The Imitation Game 2014
as Joan Clarke
Laggies 2014
as Megan Burch
Begin Again 2014
as Gretta James
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit 2014
as Cathy Muller
Once Upon a Time... 2013
as Gabrielle Chanel
Wide-Awake 2012
as The Witch
Stars in Shorts 2012
as Woman
Anna Karenina 2012
as Anna Karenina
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World 2012
as Penelope "Penny" Lockhart
A Dangerous Method 2011
as Sabina Spielrein
London Boulevard 2010
as Charlotte
Last Night 2010
as Joanna Reed
Never Let Me Go 2010
as Ruth C.
Steve 2010
as Woman
The Continuing and Lamentable Saga of the Suicide Brothers 2009
as The Fairy
The Duchess 2008
as Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
The Edge of Love 2008
as Vera Phillips
Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind 2007
as Em (voice)
Silk 2007
as Hélène Joncour
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens 2007
as Self
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End 2007
as Elizabeth Swann
Atonement 2007
as Cecilia Tallis
According to Plan: The Harrowing and True Story of Dead Man's Chest 2006
as Self
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest 2006
as Elizabeth Swann
Domino 2005
as Domino Harvey
Pride & Prejudice 2005
as Elizabeth Bennet
King Arthur: A Roundtable Discussion 2005
as Self
The Jacket 2005
as Jackie Price
Blood on the Land: The Making of a King 2004
as Self
Stories of Lost Souls 2004
as Leah
The Making of King Arthur 2004
Actor
King Arthur 2004
as Guinevere
Below Deck: An Interactive History Of Pirates 2003
Actor
Love Actually 2003
as Juliet
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 2003
as Elizabeth Swann
The Seasons Alter 2002
as Helena
New Year's Eve 2002
as Leah
Pure 2002
as Louise
Thunderpants 2002
as Music School Student
Bend It Like Beckham 2002
as Juliette 'Jules' Paxton
The Hole 2001
as Frances 'Frankie' Almond Smith
Princess of Thieves 2001
as Gwyn
Deflation 2001
as Jogger
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 1999
as Sabé
Coming Home 1998
as Young Judith
The Treasure Seekers 1996
as The Princess
Innocent Lies 1995
as Young Celia
A Village Affair 1995
as Natasha Jordan
Royal Celebration 1993
as Angela
Credits from TMDB.