Keira Knightley Biography: Husband, Net Worth, Children, Wedding



Known for movies



Keira Christina Knightley is an English actress. She began acting as a child on television and made her film debut in 1995. She had a supporting role as Sabé in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) and her first significant role came in the psychological horror film The Hole (2001). She gained widespread recognition in 2002 after co-starring in the film Bend It Like Beckham and achieved international fame in 2003 after appearing as Elizabeth Swann in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series.

Knightley was born on 26 March 1985 in Teddington, London, England, to Sharman Macdonald, an actress turned playwright, and Will Knightley, a actor. She has an older brother, Caleb. Her parents are of English and Scottish descent, with Knightley’s maternal grandmother, Olga Mironoff, being Russian. Knightley lived in Richmond, attending Stanley Junior School, Teddington School and Esher College. She requested an agent at the age of three. Knightley has noted that she was “single-minded about acting” during her childhood. She focused on art, history, and English literature while at Esher, and was an A-grade student at age 16.

After getting an agent at six, Knightley worked mostly in commercials and small television roles. Her first role was “Little Girl” in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in 1999. A year later, she had a small role in the film The Hole. She played the daughter of Robin Hood in the made-for-television Disney Channel film Princess of Thieves in 2001.

Knightley’s breakthrough role came in 2002 when she co-starred in the film Bend It Like Beckham as Jess Bhamra, the daughter of a traditional Sikh family living in London. The film was a box office success worldwide and earned Knightley a nomination for the London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Newcomer.

In 2003, Knightley starred in the pirate adventure film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl as Elizabeth Swann, the governor’s daughter. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $654 million worldwide. Knightley’s performance earned her an Empire Award for Best Newcomer and a Saturn Award for Best Actress.

Knightley’s next two films were Love Actually (2003) and King Arthur (2004). In the romantic comedy Love Actually, she played Juliet, a young woman who falls in love with a man (played by Andrew Lincoln) who is about to marry her best friend (played by Keisha Castle-Hughes). The film was a box office success grossing over $247 million worldwide. In the action adventure film King Arthur, she played Guinevere, the love interest of King Arthur (played by Clive Owen). The film was a box office bomb grossing only $51 million worldwide against its $120 million budget.

In 2005, Knightley starred in the historical drama Pride & Prejudice as Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest of five sisters who must marry wealthy gentlemen to secure their economic future. The film was a critical and commercial success grossing over $121 million worldwide. Knightley’s performance earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama.

In 2006, Knightley starred in the historical drama The Edge of Love as Vera Phillips, a Welsh singer who has an affair with poet Dylan Thomas (played by Matthew Rhys). The film was a box office bomb grossing only $4 million against its $15 million budget.

In 2008, Knightley starred in the historical drama The Duchess as Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire. The film was a critical and commercial success grossing over $32 million against its $15 million budget. Knightley’s performance earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama.

In 2010, Knightley starred in the action thriller Edge of Tomorrow as Rita Vrataski, a special forces soldier who teams up with Tom Cruise’s character to stop an alien invasion. The film was a critical and commercial success grossing over $370 million worldwide.

In 2016, Knightley starred in the historical drama Colette as French novelist Colette. The film was a critical and commercial success grossing over $13 million against its $10 million budget. Knightley’s performance earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama.

Knightley has been married to James Righton, a musician, since 2013. They have two children together: daughter Edie (born 2015) and son Delilah (born 2019).

Knightley has a net worth of $50 million as of 2020. She has earned this fortune through her successful acting career. Her films have grossed over $5 billion worldwide. She has been nominated for numerous awards including the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama, and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia