Keira Christina Knightley (;
[See Pronunciation of Keira Knightley.] born 26 March 1985) is a
Golden Globe-,
BAFTA-, and
Academy Award-nominated English
film and television actor. She began her career as a child and came to international prominence in 2003 after co-starring in the films
Bend It Like Beckham and
Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.
Knightley has appeared in several
Hollywood films and earned an Academy Award nomination for her role as
Elizabeth Bennet in Joe Wright's
2005 adaptation of Jane Austen's novel
Pride and Prejudice and has received critical praise for her newest role as Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, in
The Duchess.
