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Knightley began acting at age seven in her television debut in Royal Celebration (1993) and appearing on the television series, The Bill (1995). She appeared in several other 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 the girls were in full makeup.[4] 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, Knightley also appeared in The Hole, a thriller that received a direct-to-video release in the United States. She also appeared in a mini-series adaptation of Doctor Zhivago that first aired in 2002 to mixed reviews but high ratings.
Knightley\\\'s breakthrough role was in the English football-themed film, Bend It Like Beckham, which was a success in its August 2002 UK release, grossing $18 million, and in its March 2003 U.S. release, grossing $32 million.[5] 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 (along with Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp) which was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and opened in July 2003 to positive reviews and high box office grosses, becoming one of the biggest hits of summer 2003 and cementing Knightley as the new \\\"It\\\" girl. Knightley had a role in the British romantic comedy Love Actually, which opened in November 2003. Though charismatic, Miss Knightley’s performance was overlooked in the crowded A-List cast. Her next film, King Arthur, opened in July 2004 to negative reviews, scoring only 31% at Rotten Tomatoes. While many liked the new Guinevere, Knightley’s performance was overlooked and she was mostly praised for her appearance. In the same month, Knightley was voted by readers of Hello! magazine as the movie industry\\\'s most promising teen star. Additionally, Time magazine noted in a 2004 feature that Knightley seemed dedicated to developing herself as a serious actress rather than a film star.
2005 would see the release of 3 films, the first of which was The Jacket.. The complex thriller starring Adrien Brody was derided by critics as unoriginal, silly and messy, scoring a disappointing 44%. Knightley was taken to task for her American accent but was otherwise dismissed by critics. Next would be Tony Scott\\\'s Domino, an action film based on the life of bounty hunter Domino Harvey. The film would be Knightley’s greatest critical flop to date, scoring only 17% positive reviews. Knightley’s critics often suggested she was nothing more than a pretty face, which lead the young starlet to comment to Elle magazine, “I always feel like I’m the one with everything to prove.” Pride and Prejudice would round out 2005, scoring a lively 85%. As iconic Elizabeth Bennet, Knightley would receive the greatest reviews of her career thus far. From Variety: \\\"Looking every bit a star, Knightley, who\\\'s shown more spirit than acting smarts so far in her career, really steps up to the plate here, holding her own against the more classically trained Macfadyen (as well as vets like Blethyn, Sutherland and Judi Dench) with a luminous strength that recalls a young Audrey Hepburn. More than the older Ehle in the TV series, she catches Elizabeth\\\'s essential skittishness and youthful braggadocio, making her final conversion all the more moving.\\\" The film would gross more than $100 million worldwide and Keira would earn a Golden Globe nomination and an Oscar nomination. It was noted that Keira was snubbed by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTAs)- a move which drew criticism from Pride and Prejudice producer Tim Bevan. Keira would ultimately lose both the Oscar and the Golden Globe to American actress Reese Witherspoon.
In 2006, Knightley was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[6]
Knightley\\\'s biggest financial hit thus far, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man\\\'s Chest, was released on July 7, 2006. On June 3, 2007, Knightley was up for a MTV Movie Award for Best Performance. She lost to her co-star, Johnny Depp. She has recently completed filming in Silk (an adaptation of the novel by Alessandro Baricco) and Atonement, a feature film adaptation of Ian McEwan\\\'s novel of the same name, co-starring James McAvoy, Vanessa Redgrave and Brenda Blethyn.[7]
Knightley most recently appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World\\\'s End, which was released on May 24, 2007; she continued to film scenes for the film near the end of 2006. She is now (May/June 2007) working on a film entitled The Edge of Love, formally titled The Best Time Of Our Lives, about the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, from a screenplay by her mother.
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