Keira Knightley was born in Teddington, England on March 22, 1985. Daughter of playwright Sharman MacDonald and actor Will Knightley, she was already influenced by show business at an early age. She has one sibling, a brother named Caleb. Keira got her first manager at the age of 6, after asking for a manager at the age of three. Her parents were very strict and demanding when it came to Keira's priorities and education. Since she had dyslexia, they made sure nothing interfered with her education, enforcing her to study through school holidays. Nevertheless, Keira's parents made sure that she worked in production if it didn't interfere with her education.
From an early age, she was trained in dance but chose acting. She had her film debut at the age of nine in a romantic drama A Village Affair. She gradually took on more but rather small roles in Innocent Lies (1995), Treasure Seekers (1996) and Coming Home (1998).
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black P...
Keira Knightley at the Pirates of the Caribbean: D...
Keira attends the premiere of AtonementShe got her break as Sabe, the decoy queen for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Her role of Sabe was kept secret until the movie release to not spoil the surprise. In makeup for Sabe, the mothers of Keira Knightley and Natalie Portman could not tell them apart. After Star Wars, she landed roles in Oliver Twist (2000) and Princess of Thieves (2001). In the same year, it was thought that her breakthrough role would be in the thriller The Hole. Instead, she got the attention of audiences in the comedy drama Bend It Like Beckham. In preparation for Bend It Like Beckham, Keira had to train for 20 weeks in soccer. After her performance in Bend It Like Beckham, Keira landed many high profile roles. She played the role once played by Julie Christie in Dr. Zhivago and appeared in the comedy, Love, Actually. Her biggest role was in Disney's big-budget movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. As of July 2004, she has bought a house in London where she will move in with six of her friends. Her most recent movie is King Arthur in which she played the role of Guinevere.
Impressively, still at a young age, big roles are still in the future for Keira Knightley as they keep getting bigger and bigger.
English: Keira attends the BAFTA'S 2008
Keira Knightley at BAFTAs 2008
Madame Tussauds London - Keira Knightley