Keira Christina Righton (; née Knightley, born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in both independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received several accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, and a Laurence Olivier Award. In 2018, she was appointed an OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to drama and charity.Born in London to actors Will Knightley and Sharman Macdonald, Knightley obtained an agent at age six and initially worked in commercials and television films. She had a minor role as Sabé in the space opera Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). Her breakthrough came when she portrayed a tomboy footballer in the sports film Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and achieved global stardom for playing Elizabeth Swann in the swashbuckler fantasy series Pirates of the Caribbean, beginning in 2003. She appeared in the romantic comedy Love Actually (2003) and was labelled a promising teen star.
