Keira Knightley has been acting professionally since she was eight, and at 32, has an impressive resume of quality films under her belt that range from indie dramas to seafaring blockbusters. Knightley has wonderful range as a comedic actress and fits well in period dramas where she’s gotten the most awards attention (The Imitation Game and Pride and Prejudice) and modern dramas (Love Actually and Collateral Beauty). Her most famous role is that of Elizabeth Swann, female protagonist of the first three films in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Where she chooses to take her career at this point is up to her. She’s a proven box office draw with the respect of the critics, and she’s still so young, you get the feeling her best is still yet to come.
Keira Knightley’s Best 10
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) Elizabeth Swann
2. Love Actually (2003) Juliet
3. Atonement (2007) Cecillia Tallis
4. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) Penny
5. Bend it Like Beckham (2002) Jules Paxton
6. Never Let Me Go (2010) Ruth
7. The Imitation Game (2014) Joan Clarke
8. Pride and Prejudice (2005) Elizabeth Bennet
9. Collateral Beauty (2016) Amy
10. Everest (2015) Jan Hall
Honorable Mention: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) Elizabeth Swann
Oscars, Golden Globes & Emmys
Oscar Wins (0): None
Oscar Nominations (2): Pride and Prejudice (2006, The Imitation Game (2015)
Golden Globe Wins (0): None
Golden Globe Nominations (2): Pride and Prejudice (2006, Atonement (2008), The Imitation Game (2015)
Emmy Wins (0): None
Emmy Nominations (0): None
My Favorite Knightley Scene:
“To Know You” from Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)
Next Film: Keira Knightley has three films scheduled for 2018: the biopic Colette, the anthology drama Berlin I Love You, and Disney’s 2018 holiday extravaganza The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.
High hopes for the Nutcracker movie. The edition of the original Hoffman book that was illustrated by Maurice Sendak was something I trotted out every Christmas when I was a kid. I used to watch the video of the Sendak-designed ballet production, too. I was not a ballet kid, but I loved that particular production, because of the imagination and nightmarishness. It was insane. I’m not remotely expecting this new version to reach the heights of Sendak’s imagination, but it’s got to be better than that live action version from five years ago or so. Remember? With the Holocaust imagery, and John Tutorro as the Rat King, and Nathan Lane as Albert Einstein? If you are NOT familiar, it is worth watching just to satisfy a sense of morbid curiosity you did not know you had. They had Tim Rice write lyrics to the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. The lyrics are about the theory of relativity. Except that they misrepresent the theory of relativity. I am not making any of this up.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Knightley is probably the most criticised well-known actress for her acting, or was supposed to be anyway, and I always thought this was a bit unfair. I agree with many performances on your list. Still, period dramas such as Atonement and Pride & Prejudice are probably her best.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t get the hate for her unless its backlash from the Pirates sequels, but her resume is pretty good and when you realize how young she still is, it becomes extremely impressive.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed. I think all the hate for her acting comes from the fact that she was never professionally trained as an actress. A bit harsh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
More than, especially when you stack her against a lot of the ones who were.
LikeLiked by 1 person
She’s wonderful. P and P was her shining moment, and this is coming from a guy who always needs to work to keep his commentary about Jane Austin charitable. If Knightley’s turn in the Pirates “trilogy” is what mobilized critical opinion against her, the critics need to look again, because while the second two forgot what made the first one so surprising and fun, that original film was not grounded by Depp or even Bloom, it was Knightly at the heart. I dare any great actor to do great work in front of a green screen anyway (Andy Searkis is the exception that stands out). I’m glad the cultural elites have so much integrity that they would turn down millions of dollars, when all they would have to do is pretend to talk to some imaginary skeletons to earn it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Knightley got better as the films went on while Bloom and Depp faded even if the quality of the films fell.
LikeLike
I’ve always loved her as Elizabeth Swann in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies!
LikeLiked by 1 person