Let's be honest, everyone loves to know about the private lives of celebrities. Especially when they get to discover that they are not so different from everyone else, that they have their insecurities and face daily conflicts just like normal people. The only difference lies in the fact that they have millionaire salaries and have a team that helps them look spectacular most of the time, something that we mortals do not have. But that does not prevent fans from being curious about their lives.

That's why today we're going to talk about the renowned British actress, Keira Knightley, who has captivated audiences with her interpretations of heroines and her roles in period dramas such as the 2007 film Atonement. Keira, throughout her career, has managed to maintain a low profile regarding her private life and although very little is known about certain aspects of her life, the actress in several interviews and talk shows has let the world know her opinion on topics such as love, her perspective on motherhood and how to raise her daughter, and her opinions on different areas of life. Keira is known for having strong opinions, and being open about what she thinks.

20 Her Mom Misspelled Her Name When She was born: it was supposed to be "Kira"

Something that many parents have had to face is the misfortune of misspelling the name of their children when they are filling out the legal documents. Many times after the bustle of the arrival of the baby it is normal for parents to make this mistake and not be able to amend it, and so it was the case of Keira Knightley.

Initially, her parents wanted to call her "Kira" without the "e", after Russian figure skater Kira Ivanova.

But her mother Sharman Macdonald wrote the name wrong when she went to register her baby, and in the end they decided to keep it in that way.

19 Both Of Her Parents Were Actors

Art runs through her veins. Her parents were familiar with the entertainment industry because they had worked in that field.

Keira's mother was a Scottish playwright, screenwriter, and actress. Her father, William Knightley, was an English television and stage actor.

So it did not surprise anyone that Keira wanted to explore that field and perform as a professional career.

Her parents played an important role in Keira's acting life because they were there to support her, teach her acting techniques and guide her in her career, which is why Keira started from an early age in this industry.

18 She Struggled With Dyslexia

When she was only 6 years old, Keira was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia.

And although she had successfully gotten over her dyslexia by the age of eleven, she is still a slow reader and does not like to read out loud.

Of course, this can be a complicated situation for actors who must memorize long scripts before facing the cameras and developing a scene, but Keira has shown us that in life the important thing is to keep trying until we achieve it, and this impediment has not prevented her from following her dreams of being a recognized actress in Hollywood.

17 She's Is A Soccer Fan

Knightley is a big soccer fan. She is a supporter of the West Ham United Football Club based in London. So it should not be surprising that when she was offered the role of Juliette "Jules" Paxton, in the film Bend It Like Beckham, Keira decided to accept it right away. This romantic comedy is about two young women who play soccer and the difficulties they face in their lives. The movie title refers to the professional soccer player David Beckham, and his skill at scoring from free kicks. Keira is the best example that pretty girls can be good at sports and know about it.

16 Her Beginnings Were In Tv Shows And Commercials

Like many celebrities in Hollywood, Knightley also started with small roles in TV shows and commercials. She got her first agent at the age of six, and her first on-screen role was in the 1993 made-for-TV film Royal Celebration. After that she got a role as Young Celia in the film Innocent Lies, until she rose to fame in 2003 thanks to the film series Pirates of the Caribbean. These roles helped Keira learn not only about acting, but about responsibility and hard work. Of course, because practice helps people to improve their performance, these small roles helped the young actress to polish her acting skills.

15 She was one of the youngest ever to be nominated for Best Actress

At just 20 years old, she was the fifth youngest actress in Oscar history to be nominated for Best Actress, thanks to her role as Elizabeth Bennet in 2005’s Pride & Prejudice. And although Keira has stood out through her career thanks to her roles in period dramas such as King Arthur, Pride & Prejudice, Silk and The Duchess, she has shown us her versatility in acting by acting in different genres throughout her career. So it is not surprising that the academy noticed her talent and nominated her at such an early age and stage in her career as an actress.

14 The blind love her voice

But Keira is not only recognized for her acting skills, she is also recognized for having a captivating and beautiful voice.

The UK’s Royal National Institute for the Blind voted Knightley as having the second most gorgeous voice in the country, while first place went to Scottish actor Sean Connery.

And it seems that Keira is able to excel in everything, not just her beauty and acting skills. Keira has also, over the years, devoted herself to using her platform as a celebrity to try to make a positive change.

13 She Recommends Doing Therapy

Many people tend to get scared when they hear the word "therapy" and have a bad perception about needing this type of care. But Keira thinks the opposite. Instead, she recommends attending therapy to try to resolve internal uncertainties.

During an interview with Millea the actress said "I've totally done therapy. I highly recommend it. I don't do it at the moment."

"But in my early twenties when I found everything completely overwhelming, 100 percent, I did it!"

"Are you kidding? I think when you're in those moments in your life, and you want to get through them…you have to do whatever it is to help you get over it. You have to give it a go. Try anything that might help."

12 She Used to date Mr. Grey (A.k.a. Jamie Dornan)

"Mr. Grey is ready to see you"... or at least he was for Keira at the beginning of 2000s.

The couple met at an early stage in their careers when they were not as well known in the entertainment industry.

They met at a photoshoot where the two were modelling in an ad campaign for the British jeweller Asprey, and soon after that they started dating.

And according to Starts Changes, Keira confessed that Jaime was her first love. They started living together and at the beginning of their relationship everything was great. But Keira’s increasing popularity wasn’t something with what Jaime felt comfortable with, especially when they started to get the attention of the paparazzi.

11 In 2007, Forbes Listed her As The Second Highest Paid Actress In Hollywood

After the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which grossed $4.5 billion, it wasn't a surprise that in 2007 Forbes listed Knightley as the second highest paid actress in Hollywood. That year, she reportedly earned $32 million USD, and was the only non-American actress on the list.

Since then Keira has positioned herself not only as one of the better paid actresses around, but one of them more sought-after actresses in the film industry too. This is thanks to her talent and adaptability to the different roles. But despite her fame, Keira remains humble and tries to use her fame for useful things and help in different causes.

10 She Met Her Husband At A Dinner Party

Although the break up with Jamie Dornan was not easy for Keira after two years together, some time later she would meet the man who would become her future husband, James Righton, an English musician. And although it was not a big romantic story like those that happen in her movies, Keira is very happy. The actress confessed to The Guardian that they met at a dinner party, through their friend Tim.

The couple got married in 2013 in a fairly private ceremony and in 2015 they welcomed their first daughter, whom they named Edie Knightley Righton.

9 She Is Very Private With Her Personal Life

Like many Hollywood celebrities Keira tries to maintain a balance between her work life and her personal life, keeping her life as private as possible and always showing a low profile in her day-to-day. Keira tries not to be in the spotlights unless it is for work, which is why she and her husband live in London away from the paparazzi.

In fact, back in 2012 during an interview with the Telegraph, Knightley criticised her fellow Hollywood stars for talking about their private lives.

She mentioned that she hates knowing too much about the actors on screen when she is going to the cinema as a viewer. Also, she clarified that she doesn’t want to know that the actor has just gone through a divorce. She doesn’t want to know that the person is an out-of-control party animal because it just gets in the way of her pleasure of watching the character.

8 She Couldn't fully celebrate Her Thirtieth Birthday Because She Was Pregnant

During an interview the actress shared how disappointed she was at her thirtieth birthday because she was heavily pregnant, and she couldn't drink. She said "what is the point of having a thirtieth birthday if I couldn't get phenomenally drunk? But my husband took over, arranged a lovely lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, 20 of us, and they were all being so sweet, like, 'Look, you can have a great time and be sober!' And it's fine apart from the fact that they started drinking at about one. Then they came back to our house—they'd covered it in balloons that said my name and happy birthday and all that—and they got completely [wasted]. They were there until two or three in the morning, absolutely drunk, and I was there eight months pregnant, completely sober. So it was lovely, but it wasn't what I'd imagined a thirtieth birthday was going to be."

7 Her Husband Was Having A Great Time During Her Pregnancy

As women and mothers we know that pregnancy is a different experience for men. They perceive all changes as spectators, so their connection to the baby and the whole process is different.

The actress during an interview with Ellen Degeneres said her husband, James Righton, was making sure none of her free drinks were going to waste. Then she explained that her husband was having a great time. She was eating for two and he was drinking for two. She said, "There’s a lot of free champagne so he thought because she was not drinking the free champagne he had to. So all of it."

6 She Did Not Know That Changing A Baby Boy's Diaper Can Be Tricky

Many mothers do not know how different it can be to change the diaper of a baby boy than that of a girl, due to the #1 situation. And this is something that the recognized actress seemed unaware of. It was thanks to Kimmel during an interview that he explained to Knightley, so now she knows there is always a risk of getting icky stuff in your face when changing a baby, especially if it's a boy. But luckily her first baby was a girl and Keira has not lived that experience yet, although we are sure that she would have faced the situation with her characteristic humor.

5 She Learned That Pregnancy Helps You Cut Lines

Being pregnant has many advantages, among which we can highlight that people's treatment of pregnant women is usually more friendly and considerate. After all, women are carrying a baby with them. And this was another of the details that Keira discovered during her pregnancy.

According to Us Weekly reported, Knightley cut the bathroom line at the Golden Globes thanks to being pregnant. Per Us, she said as heading into the bathroom, "I'm sorry, excuse me, pregnant lady coming through!" Something very typical of Keira is being really honest with what it is going on, so she was in a hurry and just cut the line.

4 After Pregnancy, Keira Feels Better about herself physically

Something that many women experience during pregnancy are insecurities regarding their body due to the changes that are happening. And these insecurities are usually maintained for a time after giving birth during the process in which the body returns to normal, or as mom knew it before having the baby.

But Keira saw it in a different way. According to Facinate she once said "I have to say, as a woman, you hate certain parts of your body. You go through those periods where you look in the mirror and you think, Oh, if only I had different legs or arms or whatever. You go through pregnancy and labor and then feeding the kid and you go, Wow, my body is totally amazing, and I'm never going to not like it again."

3 She Does Not Allow Her Daughter To Watch Cinderella

For some years, Keira has shown her opinion about certain standards in society and how she seeks to create awareness about gender equality, among other issues. But recently, the actress was involved in another controversy when she publicly admits that she does not allow her daughter to see the Cinderella movie.

During an interview with Ellen Degeneres, Knightley said her daughter was “banned” from watching Cinderella, which Disney produced as a cartoon in 1950 and a live-action film in 2015. “[Cinderella] waits around for a rich guy to rescue her. Don’t. Rescue yourself! Obviously.” She added that she had also wasn't a fan of The Little Mermaid, the 1989 animation. “This is the one that I’m quite annoyed about because I really like the film. I mean, the songs are great, but do not give your voice up for a man. Hello! … I love The Little Mermaid! That one’s a little tricky – but I’m keeping to it.”

2 She Thinks That Mary Poppins Is A Necessity

We live in an era where more and more women have more active roles within society, so creating a balance between professional and family life is not an easy task. Which is why many mothers choose to hire a nanny once they must return to work.

Some people tend to see this as something taboo, but the reality is that a nanny can be very helpful when it comes to creating a balance in the various aspects of our lives. Keira understand that. She once said that Mary Poppins is proof that every parent would benefit from a real-life nanny to discard dirty diapers, among other activities.

1 She Thinks Only Rich Mothers Can Afford To Work

Money does not make happiness, but we can not deny that it helps a lot when it comes to life and pursuing careers and dreams. Unfortunately having a baby can become something very expensive, and if parents do not have the necessary resources it can be very difficult.

The actress told Harper's Bazaar: "One of the things that is so [jarring] in this country is that childcare is unbelievably expensive. But there is no option for a woman to go back to work unless she's being paid really, really well. I think I've become unbelievably aware of that and how lucky I've been to be able to afford really good childcare."

References: factinate.comtelegraph.co.ukcrossmap.comenfemenino.com,

dailymail.co.ukelle.com, .harpersbazaar.com.au, and bustle.com