Keira Knightley

Her breakthrough role, however, came when she was still in her teens in the form of writer-director Gurinder Chadha's unlikely sleeper hit "Bend It Like Beckham" (2002) as part of a pair of soccer-obsessed teen gal pals who dream of careers kicking like soccer superstar David Beckham. Knightley quickly capitalized on the attention she garnered as the second banana in the warm, quirky film and was snatched up by Disney for the big screen blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean" (2003), loosely based on the beloved theme park attraction, in which she played Elizabeth Swann, the daughter of a governor who teams with rogue pirate and unlikely ally (Johhny Depp) and a dashing love interest (Orlando Bloom) to cross blades with evil marauders led by the villainous Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush)—she would later reprise the role for a pair of sequels shot back-to-back in 2005. The actress was also used to terrific effect in writer-director Richard Curtis' "Love Actually" (2003) as a bride who realizes her groom's best man is madly in love with her.

Next, Knightley's athletic frame and acting intensity were put to good use in the action-minded "King Arthur" (2004), a "demystified" and supposedly historically correct interpretation of the myth of the English King in which she played Queen Guinevere as a blue war paint-sporting warrior chieftess. She followed up with a turn in the mysterioso thriller "The Jacket" (2005) playing the woman who may hold the key to the salvation of an amnesiac man (Adrien Brody) who envisions their meeting in the future. The actress, who seemed to be even more confident with each role, took center stage as the central figure character in director Tony Scott's hyperkinetic "Domino" (2005), playing Domino Harvey, the real-life daughter of actor Lawrence Harvey who defied her Beverly Hills upbringing and early career as a model to become a resourceful, tough-as-nails bounty hunter. Knightley delivered a dynamic performance, but it was frequently undercut by Scott's overly stylized direction. Her final 2005 film was a refreshingly lively adaptation of Jane Austen's classic "Pride and Prejudice," which cast Knightley as the tale's bright and strong-willed heroine Elizabeth Bennett, a role that allowed much of the actress' coltish personal charm and winsome pluck to shine through. She was honored with several award nominations for Best Actress, including a Golden Globe and Academy Award.

Knightley started 2006 on a high note when she co-starred in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (2006), a harrowing, energetic and worthy addition to the swashbuckling franchise. She revived her love-torn character, Elizabeth Swann, to join Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and the swaggering, but effete Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in a quest to find a long-lost treasure containing the heart of Davey Jones, undead captain of the fabled Flying Dutchman. “Dead Man’s Chest” went on to break several box office records, including biggest single-day gross and biggest opening weekend ever, paving the way for the third installment, “Pirates of the Caribbean 3,” which was shot simultaneously with the second.

Also Credited As: Kiera KnightleyBorn: Kiera Knightley on 03/26/1985 in Teddington, London, EnglandJob Titles: ActressFamily
Brother: Caleb Knightley. born c. 1979
Father: Will Knightley.
Mother: Sharman McDonald.
Significant Others
Companion: Del Synnott. actor; met in 2001, while working together on "Princess Of Thieves"; split November 2003
Companion: Jamie Dornan. model; met at a Manhattan photo shoot in August 2003; began dating in 2004; announced split August 10, 2005.
Companion: Rupert Friend. met while co-starring in "Pride & Prejudice"; began dating December 2005