Keira Knightley Says Teenage Fame Financially 'Set Me Up for Life' but 'Came at a Big Cost' Personally

Keira Knightley reflects on her early successes in the film industry.

In a new interview with Los Angeles Timespublished on Thursday, December 5, the actress, 39, opened up about becoming a breakout star in her teens, thanks to films like Pirates of the Caribbean, Bend It Like Beckham and Love actually prepare her for life.

“It’s very brutal to have your privacy taken away in your teenage years, in your early 20s, and to be put under that surveillance when you’re still growing up,” she said.

“Having said that, I wouldn’t have the financial stability or the career I have now without that period,” Knightley continued. “I had a five-year period between the ages of 17 and 21 and I will never have that kind of success again. He completely prepared me for life. Did it cost money? Yes, it is.”

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From left: Orlando Bloom as Will Turner, Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann and Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’.

Greg Gorman/Walt Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock

Keira Knightley says that the famous cards with characters in Love actually They were “creepy and sweet at the same time”

“He came to big charge. Knowing the cost, can I in good conscience tell my child, should he do it? No,” she added. “But am I grateful for it? That. But then that’s life, right? Fortunately, my children are completely uninterested.”

Knightley was only 18 when she starred Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Love actually in 2003.

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She went on to star in two consecutive Pirates sequels: 2006 Dead man’s chest and in 2007 At the end of the world.

Knightley played the role of Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as Julia in Love actually.

Keira Knightley at the premiere of ‘Black Doves’ on December 3, 2024 in London.

Alan Chapman/Dave Bennett/WireImage

Keira Knightley has mixed feelings about Pirates of the Caribbean Movies: ‘They Saw Me Like S— Because Of Them’

Delving deeper into the personal cost of her success, Knightley revealed that she was a victim of stalking at a young age.

“I didn’t think it was right then,” she said Los Angeles Times. “I made it clear that it was absolutely shocking.”

She added: “There was a lot of chanting from a bunch of men saying ‘you wanted this’. It was a rape speech. You know, ‘This is what you deserve.’ It was a very violent, misogynistic atmosphere.”

“They very specifically thought I wanted to be stalked by men,” she said. “Whether it was stalking because someone was mentally ill or because people were making money off of it — I felt the same way. It was a brutal time to be a young woman in the public eye.”

The star went on to say that social media has also contributed to the promotion of public shaming of young women. “A lot of teenage girls don’t make it,” she said.

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Source: HIS Education