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BIOGRAPHY

Keira Knightley
	BIOGRAPHY | GALLERY | GOSSIP

Keira Knightley, born March 26, 1985 in Teddington, Middlesex, England, is an Academy Award-nominated English actress.

Knightley began her career as a child actress, and came to international fame in 2003, after major roles in the films Bend It Like Beckham, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Pride and Prejudice. Knightley has since become a notable lead actress, having starred in several Hollywood films and receiving an Academy Award nomination for "Best Actress" in 2005. Her most recent film is Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

Knightley lived most of her life in Richmond upon Thames, attending Teddington School and Esher College. She suffers from dyslexia, but nevertheless achieved good grades in school to please her parents, and was thus permitted to have an agent and pursue an acting career. Knightley has noted that she was "so single-minded about acting" during her childhood. She performed in a number of local amateur productions including After Juliet (written by her mother) and United States (written by her then drama teacher, John McShane).

Knightley began her acting career at the age of seven, making her television debut in Royal Celebration (1993) and also appearing on the television series, The Bill (1995). She appeared in several more made-for-television films in the mid to late 1990s, before being cast as Sabé, Padmé Amidala's decoy, in the 1999 science fiction blockbuster Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Knightley was cast in the role due to her close resemblance to Natalie Portman, who played Padmé; the two actresses' mothers had difficulty telling their daughters apart when they were heavily made up.[3] Knightley's first starring role followed in 2001, when she played the daughter of Robin Hood in a made-for-television Walt Disney Productions feature, Princess of Thieves. During this time period, Knightley also appeared in The Hole, a thriller that received a direct-to-video release in the United States, and in a mini-series remake of Doctor Zhivago that was first aired in 2002.

Knightley's breakthrough role was in the English football-themed film, Bend It Like Beckham, which was a major success in its August 2002 UK release, and did fairly well at the box office upon its United States release in March 2003, grossing $32 million.[4] After Bend It Like Beckham's UK release raised her profile, she was cast in the big budget action film, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and opened in July 2003 to positive reviews and a high box office gross, becoming one of the biggest hits of summer 2003 and cementing Knightley as a leading actress.

Knightley had a role in the British romantic comedy Love Actually, which opened in November 2003. Her next film, King Arthur, opened in July 2004 and received mixed reviews, but was praised by critic Roger Ebert for "the considerable production qualities and the charisma of the actors, who bring more interest to the characters than they deserve", Knightley being described as looking "simultaneously sexy and muddy".

Knightley starred in three 2005 films; The Jacket, a dark thriller that opened in March; director Tony Scott's film Domino, which opened in October, was an action film inspired by the life of bounty hunter Domino Harvey; and finally Pride and Prejudice, an adaptation of Jane Austen's novel, in which Knightley played regency Englishwoman Elizabeth Bennet.

Knightley was the celebrity face for the luxury goods brand Asprey, as well as Lux haircare products in Japanese TV commercials. In April of 2006, she was confirmed as the new celebrity face of Chanel's perfume "Coco Mademoiselle".

Knightley recently completed filming a Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, which was released on July 7, 2006, as well as Silk. She has completed work on parts of Pirates Of The Caribbean 3, which is due for release in May of 2007; filming will resume in August. In late June of 2006, Knightley began work on Atonement, a feature film adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel of the same name, also starring James McAvoy, Vanessa Redgrave and Brenda Blethyn. She was also recently cast in the role of Caitlin Thomas, wife of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, in a film entitled The Best Time Of Our Lives, from a screenplay by Knightley's mother.