Personal info
Known for
Actor
Gender
Female
Birthday
26 March
Location
England, United Kingdom
Edit pageKeira Knightley
Biography
Keira Christina Knightley OBE (/ˈkɪərə ˈnaɪtli/; born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received numerous accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, three BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, and a Laurence Olivier Award. In 2018, she was appointed an OBE at Buckingham Palace 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 in commercials and television films. Following a minor role as Sabé in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), her breakthrough came when she played a tomboy footballer in Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and co-starred in Love Actually (2003). She went on to achieve global recognition for playing Elizabeth Swann in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series (2003–2017).
For her portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride & Prejudice (2005), Knightley was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She starred in several more period films over the next few years, including Atonement (2007), The Duchess (2008), A Dangerous Method (2011), and Anna Karenina (2012).
She then forayed into contemporary pieces, with headline parts in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012), Begin Again (2013), and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014). Knightley returned to historical films playing Joan Clarke in The Imitation Game (2014), earning a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She later starred as the title character in Colette (2018) and journalist Loretta McLaughlin in Boston Strangler (2023).
Known for
Actor
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales as Elizabeth Swann
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End as Elizabeth Swann
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest as Elizabeth Swann
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl as Elizabeth Swann
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace as Sabé