Elizabeth Swann has spoken. Keira Knightley has revealed that the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movies, which significantly boosted her career, were also the cause of her public downfall.
The 'Atonement' actress, now 39, shared how the Disney franchise both positively and negatively influenced her life during a recent interview with The Times. 'It's a peculiar situation when something simultaneously builds and destroys you,' Knightley remarked, referring to the 'Pirates' films. 'I was deemed rubbish because of them, yet, due to their success, I was given the chance to star in films that eventually earned me Oscar nominations.'
Knightley has garnered two Oscar nominations throughout her career. She was nominated for Best Actress in 2005 for her role as Elizabeth Bennet in Joe Wright's adaptation of Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice,' and for Best Supporting Actress in 2014 for her portrayal of Joan Clarke in the WWII drama 'The Imitation Game,' alongside Benedict Cumberbatch.
'They were the most successful films I'll ever be part of, and they were the reason I was publicly criticized,' she added. 'So, they occupy a very complex space in my mind.'
Knightley starred alongside Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom in the first three 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films, released in 2003, 2006, and 2007. She was just 18 when the first movie premiered. Due to her experience, she has no intention of ever acting in another film franchise.
'The hours are insane. It's years of your life, with no control over where, how long, or what you're filming,' she explained. Being at the center of such massive hits at a young age also took a toll on Knightley's mental health. In 2018, she disclosed suffering a mental breakdown and being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder at 22.
'In that classic trauma way, I don't remember it,' she shared. 'There's been a complete delete, and then some things will resurface, and I'll suddenly have a very bodily memory of it because, ultimately, it's public shaming, isn't it? It's obviously part of my psyche, given how young I was when it happened. I've been shaped by it.'
Much of the public shaming she faced centered on her weight. She was frequently accused in the media of battling an eating disorder. 'I knew I wasn't. I knew I was eating,' she explained. 'I remember vividly one of the Olsen twins had anorexia, and she went into a clinic,' Knightley added, referring to Mary-Kate Olsen, who sought treatment for an eating disorder in 2004 after graduating high school.
'I remember being asked about it on a press tour, like it was a joke. She was meant to be shamed for seeking help for anorexia,' Knightley continued. 'I remember sitting there just thinking, 'Wow, this is wild.' Can you imagine?…That made me really emotional. That's not even about me, it's about her. I still can't bear it.'
The star believed the media was always looking for any chance to portray her as a star in distress. 'I 100% recognized and saw people's careers being shattered because they were photographed coming out of clubs,' she recalled. 'The money on my head at that point, if you'd got a picture of me drunk, was so huge. I wasn't going to give the [paparazzi] the satisfaction of taking that away, so I was unbelievably straight.'
Away from franchise-land, today Knightley carefully selects her roles, partly influenced by being a mother of two young girls. 'I keep being offered things about children dying or about mothers dying. Can't do it,' she admitted. 'I've been really surprised in the past few years about what I've said no to. I've wanted it to be more pure entertainment and maybe that's because I've needed that.'
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