Knightley has since become a notable lead actress, having appeared in several Hollywood films and earning an Academy Award nomination for her role as Elizabeth Bennet in Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
Biography
Early life
Knightley was born in Teddington, Greater London, England, the daughter of Sharman Macdonald, an award-winning playwright, and Will Knightley, a theatre and television actor. Her father is English and her mother is Scottish and of half Welsh ancestry. She has an elder brother, Caleb, who was born in 1979. Knightley lived most of her life in Richmond, attending Teddington School and Esher College. Knightley has dyslexia, but nevertheless was successful in school and was thus permitted to acquire a talent agent and pursue an acting career. She requested an agent as early as the age of three but got one when she turned six, from her mother as a reward for studying hard. Knightley has noted that she was "single-minded about acting" during her childhood. She performed in a number of local amateur productions including After Juliet (written by her mother) and United States (written by her then drama teacher, Ian McShane, no relation to the Deadwood actor).
Career
Knightley appeared in several television movies in the mid to late 1990s—including ITV1's The Bill—before being cast as Sabé, Padmé Amidala's decoy, in the 1999 science fiction blockbuster Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Knightley was cast in the role due to her close resemblance to Natalie Portman, who played Padmé; the two actresses' mothers had difficulty telling their daughters apart when the girls were in full makeup. Knightley's first starring role followed in 2001, when she played the daughter of Robin Hood in the made-for-television Walt Disney Productions feature, Princess of Thieves. During this time, Knightley also appeared in The Hole, a thriller that received a direct-to-video release in the United States. She appeared in a miniseries adaptation of Doctor Zhivago that first aired in 2002 to mixed reviews but high ratings.
Knightley's breakthrough role was in the football-themed film, Bend It Like Beckham, which was a success in its August 2002 UK release, grossing $18 million, and in its March 2003 U.S. release, grossing $32 million. After Bend It Like Beckham's UK release raised her profile, she was cast in the big budget action film, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (along with Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp) which was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and opened in July 2003 to positive reviews and high box office grosses, becoming one of the biggest hits of summer 2003 and cementing Knightley as the new "It" girl.
Knightley had a role in the British romantic comedy Love Actually, which opened in November 2003. Though charismatic, her performance was overlooked in the crowded A-List cast. Her next film, King Arthur, opened in July 2004 to negative reviews. In the same month, Knightley was voted by readers of Hello! magazine as the film industry's most promising teen star. Additionally, Time magazine noted in a 2004 feature that Knightley seemed dedicated to developing herself as a serious actress rather than a film star. 2005 saw the release of 3 films, the first of which was The Jacket. The complex thriller starring Adrien Brody was derided by critics as unoriginal, silly, and messy. Knightley was taken to task for her American accent but was otherwise dismissed by critics. Next came Tony Scott's Domino, an action film based on the life of bounty hunter Domino Harvey. The film has been Knightley's greatest critical flop to date. Knightley's critics often suggested she was nothing more than a pretty face, which led the young starlet to comment to Elle magazine, “I always feel like I’m the one with everything to prove.” Pride and Prejudice rounded out 2005. For her portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet, Knightley received the greatest reviews of her career thus far. Variety wrote: "Looking every bit a star, Knightley, who's shown more spirit than acting smarts so far in her career, really steps up to the plate here, holding her own against the more classically trained Matthew Macfadyen, as well as vets like Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Penelope Wilton, and Judi Dench with a luminous strength that recalls a young Audrey Hepburn. More than the older Jennifer Ehle in the TV series, she catches Elizabeth's essential skittishness and youthful braggadocio, making her final conversion all the more moving." The film grossed more than $100 million worldwide and Knightley earned a Golden Globe nomination and an Oscar nomination (the Oscar ultimately went to Reese Witherspoon). 'Keira Knightley is the third-youngest performer ever nominated for an Academy Award.' BAFTA's decision not to nominate her drew criticism from Pride and Prejudice producer Tim Bevan.
In 2006, Knightley was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Knightley's biggest financial hit thus far, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, was released on July 7, 2006. On June 3, 2007, Knightley was up for an MTV Movie Award for Best Performance but she lost to her co-star, Johnny Depp. 2007 saw the release of several films starring Knightley: Silk, an adaptation of the novel by Alessandro Baricco, Atonement, a feature film adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel of the same name (co-starring James McAvoy, Vanessa Redgrave, and Brenda Blethyn), and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, which was released on May 24, 2007. Knightley's performance in Atonement began to generate buzz before the film was released; she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the Best Dramatic Actress category for the role, as well as a BAFTA. Critic Richard Roeper was puzzled by both Knightley's and McAvoy's Academy Award snubs stating "I thought McAvoy and Knightly were superb."
In the late spring of 2007, Knightley shot The Edge of Love with Cillian Murphy as her husband, Matthew Rhys as her childhood sweetheart, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, and Sienna Miller as Thomas' wife Caitlin MacNamara. She has received, for the most part, very positive reviews for her role. This 2008 release was penned by her mother, Sharman Macdonald, and directed by John Maybury. She then began work on The Duchess based on the best-selling biography, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Fporeman in which she plays Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire; the film was released in cinemas on September 5, 2008 in the U.K. Knightley has been praised for her portrayal of Georgiana. Critic and Co-Chair of the Toronto International Film Festival, Cameron Bailey, stated that "The Duchess Of Devonshire, with Keira Knightley, which is a beautiful film and she gives a really mature performance. You're seeing her really turn into something beyond the kind of pretty face that we've seen her do already so well. But she's actually a very serious actress and she's turning into a great, great performer." Critic Edward Douglas writes "we were blown away by Keira Knightley's performance in the costume drama The Duchess...Knightley is even better in it than Atonement and Pride & Prejudice." New York Post critic Lou Lumenick writes that in terms of an Oscar nomination, that Knightley "seems a lock for The Duchess" and goes on to say that she "shines" in this role.
Keira's next film roles include King Lear, and the modern drama Last Night in which she will co-star with Eva Mendes, Sam Worthington and Guillaume Canet. It is to be directed by Massy Tadjedin and will start filming in October 2008 in New York.
Coming Up Roses
Keira Knightley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I was out walking
The voices started to speak
And they wouldn't stop talking
There were signs all around
It really got my mind racing
You were right all along
Hold on
Hold on they're not for me
Hold on
'Cause everything's coming up roses
Roses
Now we're back on the street
For a song that's worth singing
A bloody nose, a defeat
While your victory bell's ringing
But life's turned around
For this thing you keep chasing
You were right all along
But it's me who's got to change
Hold on
Hold they're not for me
Hold on
'Cause everything's coming up roses
(Holdon, hold on)
Ahh
(Hold on, hold on)
Ah
(Hold on, hold on)
(Hold on, hold on)
Ah
(Hold on, hold on)
Ahh
(Hold on, hold on)
Ah
(Hold on, hold on)
Hold on
Hold on they're not for me
Hold on
'Cause everything's coming up
Roses
(Everything's coming up roses)
(Everything's coming up roses)
(Hold on, hold on)
Roses
(Hold on, hold on)
(Everything's coming up)
(Hold on, hold on)
(Everything's coming up)
(Hold on, hold on)
Roses
(Hold on, hold on)
Roses
In Keira Knightley's song Coming Up Roses, the lyrics paint a picture of a person who is caught up in their own thoughts and the voices in their head. These thoughts cause them to question everything and feel as though something needs to change. The idea of "coming up roses" suggests that everything is starting to turn around and while it may have been a difficult journey, the end result is positive.
The mention of a "bloody nose, a defeat" brings to mind the idea of a battle or struggle, where there are moments of difficulty and setbacks before success is achieved. The use of the phrase "hold on" serves as a reminder to keep going and to not give up, even when things seem tough.
One interesting aspect of this song is that Keira Knightley wrote it based on a personal experience she had while trying to navigate the music industry. She has mentioned in interviews that the song is about how she had to keep going even when it seemed like nothing was working out. Another interesting fact is that although Knightley has acted in numerous movies, she has also pursued a music career and has released several albums.
Line by Line Meaning
When you were asleep
When you were resting peacefully
And I was out walking
While I was taking a walk
The voices started to speak
I heard some voices
And they wouldn't stop talking
Which kept talking non-stop
There were signs all around
I noticed some signs everywhere I went
It really got my mind racing
Which made me think a lot
You were right all along
You were correct all this while
Something's gotta change
We need to make some changes
Hold on
Wait a moment
Hold on they're not for me
Hold on, those things are not meant for me
'Cause everything's coming up roses
But things are looking better for me now
Now we're back on the street
We're back where we started
For a song that's worth singing
To pursue something worthwhile
A bloody nose, a defeat
Even with losses and failures
While your victory bell's ringing
While you're enjoying your success
But life's turned around
But things have changed for the better
For this thing you keep chasing
For the thing you keep pursuing
You were right all along
You were correct all this while
But it's me who's got to change
But I'm the one who needs to make some changes
Hold on
Wait a moment
Hold they're not for me
Hold on, those things are not meant for me
'Cause everything's coming up roses
Things are looking better for me now
Holdon, hold on
Wait a moment
Ahh
Sound of breathing
Roses
Things are getting better
Hold on, hold on
Wait a moment
Ah
Sound of relief
Roses
Things are getting better
Hold on, hold on
Wait a moment
(Holdon, hold on)
Wait a moment
Ah
Sound of relief
Hold on, hold on
Wait a moment
(Holdon, hold on)
Wait a moment
Ahh
Sound of relief
Hold on, hold on
Wait a moment
Ah
Sound of relief
Hold on, hold on
Wait a moment
Hold on they're not for me
Wait a moment, those things are not meant for me
Hold on
Wait a moment
'Cause everything's coming up
Things are looking up
Roses
Things are getting better
(Everything's coming up roses)
Everything is looking better
(Everything's coming up roses)
Everything is looking better
(Hold on, hold on)
Wait a moment
Roses
Things are getting better
(Hold on, hold on)
Wait a moment
(Everything's coming up)
Things are looking up
(Hold on, hold on)
Wait a moment
(Everything's coming up)
Things are looking up
(Hold on, hold on)
Wait a moment
Roses
Things are getting better
(Hold on, hold on)
Wait a moment
Roses
Things are getting better
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLEN HANSARD, DANIELLE A BRISEBOIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@the_only_living_ghost
When you were asleep
And I was out walking
The voices started to speak
And they wouldn't stop talking
There were signs all around
It really got my mind racing
You were right all along
Something's gotta change
Hold on
Hold on, they're not for me
Hold on
'Cause everything's coming up roses
Roses
Now we're back on the street
Found a song that's worth singing
The bloody nose of defeat
While your victory bell's ringing
My whole life's turned around
For this thing you keep chasing
You were right all along
That's me who's got to change
Hold on
Hold on, they're not for me
Hold on
'Cause everything's coming up roses
Ah (Hold on, hold on)
Ah (Hold on, hold on)
Ah (Hold on, hold on)
Ah (Hold on, hold on)
Ah (Hold on, hold on)
Ah (Hold on, hold on)
Hold on
Hold on, they're not for me
Hold on
'Cause everything's coming up
Roses
Roses
Roses
(Hold on, hold on)
Roses
@joselleannetv
My go to movie whenever I feel sad, or when I needed to be reminded of the beauty and magic to begin again. 😊✨
@Buffykc62
Even though your comment was 2y ago, I just wanted to say the same thing. I escape in this movie
@joselleannetv
@@Buffykc62 I am glad that I am not the only one :)
@bethsnyder8376
This movie deserved so much more...come on James Corden, Adam Levin. Mark Ruffalo ...AND Hailee Steinfeld! and these kids so organic and natural. Great movie and amazing soundtrack. Kiera outdid herself. James should do a Carpool Karaoke with the cast.
@cynhanrahan4012
the kid back up is a lot older now, but yes, I agree
@lindynijenhuis1118
Beth Snyder anddd hailee steinfield!!
@momentsinside7715
Can't believe you put James Cordon and Adam before Mark Ruffalo
@bethsnyder8376
@Moments Inside Mark is actually my favorite actor. Just listed randomly and should have added Halee
@bethsnyder8376
In another post I said they should all do Carpool Karaoke including Hailee
@shoutingsilence8842
She actually has a great unique style of voice. Her own and just rustic. Amazing. This movie was a hard 10.