Trivia

The similarity between Knightley and Natalie Portman meant that during the filming of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), their own mothers could not tell them apart once in makeup.

Her birth name should have been "Kiera" but her mother made a typo on the the birth certificate.

At age 20, she was the fifth-youngest woman in Oscar history to be nominated for Best Actress.

In January 2007, the Daily Mail newspaper published an article about a girl who had died from anorexia which falsely suggested that Keira was also anorexic and showed a photograph of her in a bikini alongside an emotive quote from the girl's mother "If pictures like this one of Keira carried a health warning, my darling daughter might have lived". Keira successfully sued the Mail for libel.

Said auditioning for the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera (2004) was the singularly most embarrassing moment of her life because "I knew I couldn't sing it." The role eventually went to trained opera singer Emmy Rossum - Marie Claire, 2005.

Has dyslexia. She had to wear special glasses in adolescence to help her read.

Fell asleep during the premiere screening of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) due to exhaustion and she has never seen the complete film. She has stated that she does not own her own films on DVD and that she never revisits them after she sees them at the first screening.

Her role as the decoy queen in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) was kept secret in order to not spoil the surprise, it was maintained through the promotions that Portman played both the Queen and the decoy.

She did her first topless scene at age 15, in The Hole (2001), whilst the film was released in 2001 it was filmed in 2000. For legal reasons due to her age, her mother had to agree and the set was closed.

Mother, with husband James Righton, of daughters Edie Righton (b. May 25, 2015) and Delilah Righton (b. September 13, 2019).

Was considered for the role of Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), but Anne Hathaway was cast instead.

Is close friends with Carey Mulligan, having met on the set of Pride & Prejudice (2005).

Her hero is her castmate in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Geoffrey Rush.

By age 23, Forbes magazine ranked Knightley as the the second highest-paid actress in Hollywood with estimated earnings of $32 million in 2007. She was also the only non-American actress to make the list at that time (2008).

When auditioning for the role of Jackie Price in The Jacket (2005), she had suffered food poisoning a few days earlier. She decided to audition anyway and the film makers liked her "acting" for the scene, as Jackie Price was to be a woman with many issues of loss and pain as well as being physically sick in general.

Her film Bend It Like Beckham (2002) became the first Western film to be screened on North Korean television in 2010 (the screening was to celebrate 10 years of diplomatic relations between North Korea and the United Kingdom).

Her first name means 'dark'.

Was originally cast as Mary Boleyn in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), but dropped out before filming began and Scarlett Johansson was subsequently cast instead.

The green satin gown she wore in Atonement (2007) was voted the public's favorite film costume of all time in a survey by Sky Movies and In Style magazine. (January 2008)

Her father is English, and was born in Essex South Western, Essex. Her mother, who is of Scottish and Welsh descent, was born in Glasgow, Scotland.

As of February 2006, says she plans on remaining living in London and will not move to Los Angeles to further her career in American films.

Made her debut on the Forbes 100 Most Powerful Celebrities in June 2007. She came in a #71 beating out other high profile actresses like Scarlett Johansson and Reese Witherspoon.

Johnny Depp is one of her favorite actors. She worked with him on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007).

Was considered for the role of Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), but Hayley Atwell was cast instead.

(April 23, 2004) The Royal Shakespeare Company of Stratford, England, held a 2004 poll asking movie viewers to vote for the actor and actress they would love to see play Romeo and Juliet, and the winners were Knightley and James Marsters. More than 2,000 people voted for more than 150 different actors for both roles. Keira triumphed over Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman, Scarlett Johansson and Juliet Landau in the vote. Knightley said, "I am absolutely thrilled to have come top of the poll, particularly as Juliet is a role I would very much love to play in the future.".

Trained four days a week for three months in preparation for King Arthur (2004). She did about two hours of weight lifting, and then three hours either boxing, fighting, or horseback riding - Cosmopolitan, August 2004.

Trained in dancing.

At age 16, she went to Esher College to study for her A Levels, but quit the course when offered the role of Lara Antopova in Doctor Zhivago (2002).

Returned to her film career 9 months after giving birth to her daughter Edie to begin filming Collateral Beauty (2016).

Voted second sexiest voice, behind Sir Sean Connery, in a poll by the UK's Royal National Institute for the Blind, commissioned to celebrate 70 years of their Talking Books service.

(May 4, 2013) Married her boyfriend of 2 years James Righton before 11 guests in a private ceremony in the town hall of Mazan, just 12 miles away from Marseilles. The bride wore a strapless white tulle dress and pink pumps, along with a cropped Chanel jacket and a daisy-chain style garland on her head.

Was in a relationship with Rupert Friend, having met on the set of Pride & Prejudice (2005) (December 2005-December 2010).

Took elocution lessons at the beginning of her career.

Auditioned for, and was accepted to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) in London, England.

Was in a relationship with Jamie Dornan (August 2003-August 2005).

Ranked as having one of the most "Beautiful Famous Faces" by "The Annual Independent Critics List of the 100 Most Beautiful Famous Faces From Around the World." She was ranked #15 in 2010, #12 in 2009, #4 in 2008, #1 in 2007, #1 in 2006, #2 in 2005, #7 in 2004, #9 in 2003, and #13 in 2002.

She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to drama and charity in London, England.

Returned to work six months after giving birth to her daughter Delilah to begin filming Silent Night (2021).

The face of Chanel's fragrance "Mademoiselle". (September 2007)

Recentlly awarded the TCFF North Star Award for Excellence, for performances in "The Laggies" and "The Imitation Game".

The first time she met with David Cronenberg to prepare their collaboration in A Dangerous Method (2011), they met through Skype. Here, she had to exhibit some of the eccentric expressions she had to use in the film, but Skype froze several times during their meeting, much to her embarrassment.

Suffers from "Dentophobia" (fear of dentists).

Member of the Heathham House Youth Project.

The Daily Mirror named her "Actress of the Year" in December 2005.

Returned to work 5 months after giving birth to her daughter Edie to begin performing in the Broadway production of "Thérèse Raquin".

Campaigned for the lead female role in The Rum Diary (2011), but lost out to Amber Heard.

Daughter of actor Will Knightley and actress and playwright Sharman Macdonald.

Mother is actress-turned-author Sharman Macdonald, who wrote "When I Was a Girl, I Used to Scream and Shout" and "The Winter Guest".

Is a supporter of West Ham United.

Was originally cast as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, but later dropped out of the project. Carey Mulligan was then cast instead.