The role that changed her career

Keira Knightley has been in the film industry for years, so much so that it is often forgotten how early she started and how much success she achieved as a teenager.

She gained wider fame with her roles in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, which launched her among the biggest young stars of the period. However, her early success also brought with it pressure, as she needed to prove later that she was not just an “accidental star”.

That opportunity came in 2005, when director Joe Wright was casting for his adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Although it is one of Jane Austen's most famous works of literature, each new film adaptation came with high expectations, especially after the successful BBC version starring Colin Firth.

Wright is known for his very precise and visually controlled style, and initially felt that Knightley was not a good fit for his portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet, despite her growing fame.

"He had already chosen another actress. After Pirates, my photos in the media were very glamorous and he thought it wasn't Elizabeth Bennett. The meeting didn't go well," the actress recalled.

Knightley herself was at one point convinced that she had lost the role, but the producers insisted on another meeting.

"I came to London in plain, simple clothes, I was completely natural, and that was the first time he saw what Elizabeth could look like. He said, 'Great, that's exactly how it should be,'" she said.

It was this “natural” approach that later proved to be key to Wright’s vision of Elizabeth as a young woman finding herself, rather than an idealized heroine of the era. This contrast is further emphasized through her relationship with the character of Mr. Darcy, played by Matthew Macfadyen.

The film eventually became a major international success, and Knightley received her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role.