Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Your movies and TV digest from the team at GamesRadar+

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

The Evolution of Keira Knightley

Features
By Matt Maytum
Published 26 November 2010

The glamorous road to London Boulevard

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

Screen One (1993)

Keira Knightley began her acting career, aged only seven years old, when she appeared in an episode of BBC TV programme Screen One .

The storyline of episode 'Royal Celebration' revolved around Charles and Diana's wedding (ooh, topical… sort of). Footage of her appearance was dug up when she was a guest on The Jonathan Ross Show , and she's virtually unrecognisable as the starlet we know today.

Glamour rating? Thankfully low, as she rocks a look suitable for her age: baggy green T-shirt and scruffy hair.

A Village Affair (1995)

Keira's next bit of TV work was in this one-off drama. A family move to a small village and a bit of a storm ensues when the mum falls into a lesbian relationship with a villager.

Knightley played the daughter of the family, and though she didn't have a huge amount of screentime, she got to work with some decent-sized names, including Kerry Fox, Jeremy Northam and Michael Gough.

Glamour rating? Posh middle-class child chic.

Innocent Lies (1995)

Knightley's first feature film role came in this Agatha Christie-inspired potboiler. Set on the French coast in the 30s, a British detective (Adrian Dunbar) is investigating the murder of his boss, which brings him into contact with the bizarre Graves family.

Keira plays the young version of Celia Graves (Gabrielle Anwar, in older form), getting a taste for the period vibe that would define some of her biggest future successes.

Glamour rating?
The period setting adds a modicum of razzle-dazzle.

Latest Videos FromGamesRadar+
Watch full video here:

The Bill (1995)

Knightley took a role in the TV show that launched a thousand Hollywood careers. David Tennant, Russell Brand, Robert Carlyle and Sean Bean all made early appearances in the ITV cop show.

Now that it's been cancelled, it's hard to know what show will provide the embarrassing when-they-were-young footage for the next generation of big-screen stars. Keira played a young girl on the wrong side of the law, who was brought in for questioning by Sun Hill's finest.

Glamour rating? She had the scruffiness befitting the circumstances. She's not all plummy tones, y'know.

Treasure Seekers (1996)

Keira starred as a princess in this TV adaptation of 1899 children's novel The Story of the Treasure Seekers . It concerns the Bastable family, who have fallen from grace and fortune.

The Bastable children look for ways to bring their family back to glory, and Knightley (having a stab at an exotic accent) is a young foreign princess who plays a part in one of their schemes.

Glamour rating? She seems at home playing a royal.

Coming Home (1998)

Knightley joined an all-star cast in this TV adaptation of the World War II novel by Rosamunde Pilcher. Peter O'Toole, Joanna Lumley, Emily Mortimer and Paul Bettany starred as at the Carey-Lewis family.

The dynastic drama followed the clan before and after the war, with Knightley playing the younger version of Mortimer's character.

Glamour rating?
The role came with the embellishments that belonging to a wealthy family affords.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Knightley's next role was pretty small, but the movie was an absolute whopper. Taking advantage of young Keira's striking likeness to Natalie Portman, she was cast as Sabé, a handmaiden to Princess Amidala.

Knightley doesn't have much to do in the movie as she's basically there to act as a decoy for Amidala, who swans about as a handmaiden for most of the movie. Keira's first babysteps into blockbuster stardom before Pirates mega-fame.

Glamour rating? She may not be royalty but she does get to dress up as the queen of Naboo.

Your movies and TV digest from the team at GamesRadar+

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we’ve got you covered.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Oliver Twist (1999)

Keira had a role in this ITV adaptation of the Dickens orphan classic. She brushed shoulders with a wealth of Brit talent including Robert Lindsay as Fagin, and Andy Serkis on menacing form as Bill Sikes.

Knightley played Rose, a young girl who helps to nurse Oliver back to health after the urchin bungles a robbery on her benefactor. Her role is beefed up from the page, as this miniseries adds some backstory to the novel.

Glamour rating? Fairly high thanks to wealthy benefactor Mr Brownlow. Plenty of period gownage.

Princess of Thieves (2001)

As you might of guessed, this Disney-produced TV movie put a feminine spin on the Robin Hood legend. Knightley takes the lead as Gwyn, the offspring of Robin and Marion.

When Robin is banged up in chokey by the Sheriff of Nottingham (Malcolm McDowell), Gwyn jumps into action to restore Prince Phillip (a youthful Stephen Moyer) to his rightful throne. The swashbuckling skills will serve her well in King Arthur and the Pirates trilogy.

Glamour rating? She looks better than a farmhand really should.

The Hole (2001)

Keira's next role came in this private-school thriller. She plays Frankie, a school lust-object who takes part in an exclusive mini-party in a disused bunker. Nothing, it would appear, is quite as it seems, especially when it comes to the testimony of Liz (Thora Birch).

It's a watchable thriller, but it struggles to overcome plots holes and narrative contrivances, and it's never actually very scary.

Glamour rating? The school princess lustre soon dissipates when things start to get a bit Lord of the Flies .

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

Current page: Page 1

Next Page Page 2
Matt Maytum
Matt Maytum
Social Links Navigation
Former Editor of Total Film magazine

Matt Maytum is the former Editor of Total Film magazine. Over the past decade, Matt has worked in various roles for TF online and in print, including at GamesRadar+. Bucket-list-ticking career highlights have included reporting from the set of Tenet and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as covering Comic-Con, TIFF and the Sundance Film Festival.

Latest in Movies
The first look at the new Street Fighter movie in the trailer
Live Action Movies New Street Fighter trailer compiles all of the video game moves featured in the live-action movie
 
 
Austin Abrams as Bryan in Resident Evil
Horror Movies Resident Evil broke franchise box office records with highest opening weekend
 
 
Bloodborne screenshot of The Hunter player-character with their back to us, wielding a bladed in their right hand and an a ranged weapon in their left
Animated Movies Bloodborne movie producer Jacksepticeye admits "80% of the responses were critical" of his involvement
 
 
Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Marvel Movies Spider-Man writer reveals early ideas for Brand New Day and No Way Home included "Home Alone with Kraven"
 
 
Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen in Clayface
DC Movies New eye-popping Clayface trailer teases the DCU's goriest movie yet and a new side to Gotham
 
 
Austin Abrams as Bryan in Resident Evil
Horror Movies Resident Evil director reveals his original vision for the ending, and why he chose "plan B"
 
 
Latest in Features
Players fishing and chopping wood in a forest in RuneScape: Dragonwilds
Survival Games RuneScape: Dragonwilds has gathered its ingredients but still lacks flavor
 
 
A soldier vaulting over a stone wall with an assault rifle raised in one hand in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 should feel "ripped from the headlines," says Call of Duty developer: "It's been a while since we've seen the grunt perspective"
 
 
Screenshot from an Overwatch trailer, showing Doctrine, a slick vampire with red glasses and an armored suit.
FPS Games I suck at Overwatch but I was dominating with new hero Doctrine, so I smell a nerf coming
 
 
Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers: Infinity War
Marvel Movies Move over Endgame – Avengers: Infinity War might just be the most important MCU movie
 
 
Theodora lounges in a chair in Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave
RPGs Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is my ideal RPG sequel and the Three Houses followup I always wanted
 
 
Mortal Shell 2 shell in dark iron armor
Action RPGs The worst experience I've had with a game all year: Bugs in Mortal Shell 2 nearly killed it for me
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Stellar Blade screenshot showing Eve in Bayonetta skin
    1
    Stellar Blade boss offers to help PlatinumGames make Bayonetta 4
  2. 2
    New Bungie leaders insist they are fixing the studio, tell players to "keep us accountable"
  3. 3
    With $3 million in Steam pre-orders, new horror-themed Stardew Valley-like "might be massive"
  4. 4
    Bungie admits Marathon "did not reach as many players as we had hoped"
  5. 5
    Hideo Kojima says Xbox had "never seen" anything like Physint

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...