Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) Knightley, billed 30th, plays the handmaiden Sabé, a decoy for Queen Padmé Amidala. She was such a dead ringer for Natalie Portman that, in full make-up, Portman’s mother couldn’t tell them apart.
The Hole (2001) This so-so thriller about posh teens trapped in an underground bomb shelter does give Knightley her earliest memorably bad line: “I hate beaches. All that sand up your crack and nowhere to pee apart from the ocean.”
Bend It Like Beckham (2002) Knightley first came to attention with this hit coming-of-age tale, playing the best pal of fellow footballer Parminder Nagra. It won her British Newcomer of the Year
Doctor Zhivago (2002) Granada Television’s version of the Pasternak novel is suitably icy and austere, as is Knightley’s portrayal of Lara. She reportedly got the role after Andrea Corr turned it down.
Pure (2003) In Gillies MacKinnon’s grim, poignant depiction of drug addiction, Knightley proved her dramatic chops as a vulnerable pregnant waitress who claims not to be an addict because she only smokes crack rather than mainlining.
Pirates of the Caribbean 1, 2, 3 (2003, 2006, 2007) These three action comedies were all huge hits. Knightley makes a good impression as the fiery governor’s daughter, though her character’s continuous complaints about too-tight corsets are hardly believable.
King Arthur (2004) This Wicklow-shot epic is suitably grimy even if the actors are a bit too glossy, including Knightley, who plays Guinevere as a Celtic warrior.
Pride & Prejudice (2005) Knightley may not be credible physically as Jane Austen’s prototypical heroine, Elizabeth Bennett, but her Oscar-nominated performance brims with grace and gravity.
Domino (2005) Tony Scott’s biopic of a rich kid who became a bounty hunter and died of an overdose at 35 is trashy and sordid, but Knightley gives a jaw-dropping, tough-broad performance, holding her own against Mickey Rourke.
Atonement (2007) This surprise art-house hit was a notable credit for Knightley. Fact: Knightley’s green dress in the film (right) was named “best of all time” by InStyle magazine.
Also: Innocent Lies (1995), Thunderpants (2002), Love Actually (2003), The Jacket (2005)
