Knightley has opened up about the challenges she faced during and after her time starring in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series.
The actress, now 39, rose to international stardom through her portrayal of Elizabeth Swann, a governor’s daughter turned pirate leader, alongside Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow and Orlando Bloom as Will Turner.
Knightley appeared in three of the franchise’s films between 2003 and 2007, a period that brought both opportunity and difficulty.
Reflecting on that time, she told The Times, “It’s a strange thing when something is both making you and breaking you at the same time.”
Though the films achieved massive success, Knightley admitted they also made her a target for harsh public criticism.
“I was seen as terrible because of them, and yet their success gave me the chance to do the kinds of films that eventually earned me Oscar nominations, like Pride & Prejudice and The Imitation Game,” she said.
Despite their achievements, Knightley described her relationship with the franchise as complicated.
“They remain the most successful films I’ll ever be part of, but they were also the reason I was torn down publicly. So they exist in a very confused place in my mind,” she confessed.
The overwhelming intensity of working on such large-scale projects — and the relentless scrutiny that came with them — led Knightley to step away from major film franchises moving forward.
“The hours were brutal,” she explained, adding that the demanding nature of those productions took years of her life and left her with little control over her own time.
Fame, especially in her early years, proved difficult for Knightley to manage.
In a 2019 interview with The Telegraph, she opened up about undergoing “many years of therapy” to help navigate the intense pressures of life in the public eye.
“I just couldn’t handle the fame that came with those roles,” she admitted.
Reflecting in a 2023 Harper’s Bazaar interview, Knightley spoke about the complexities of playing Elizabeth Swann — a character often reduced to a lustful object.
“It was strange going from being this very tomboyish person to having that kind of projection placed on me. I felt limited. I felt trapped,” she shared.
That experience ultimately sparked her drive to seek out roles that defied those narrow expectations and gave her the freedom to explore more complex, authentic characters.
Although Knightley took a break from acting following her time on Pirates of the Caribbean and other major films, she has since embraced a more balanced career and personal life.
Today, she resides in London with her husband, musician James Righton, and their two children, while continuing to work on projects that resonate with her values and interests.
Looking back, she acknowledges the difficult journey but remains grateful: “Would I do anything different? No, I wouldn’t because I’m unbelievably lucky now, and my career is in a place where I really enjoy it.”
