Carey Mulligan counts Keira Knightley as one of her dearest pals – even though she fell for her Pride & Prejudice co-star’s beau Rupert Friend on the film’s set. Mulligan met Knightley when they were cast as sisters in the 2005 re-telling of Jane Austen’s classic love story – a film which also introduced the Pirates of the Caribbean star to her future partner Friend. The newcomer admits making her first film was full of new experiences, including a crush on Knightley’s boyfriend. She explains, “I fell in love with everybody on that film. I was in love with Rupert Friend for like a month. He’s one of my good friends now. It was like, ‘Oh, boys! You, you, you and you’ – the boom, the sound guy, lighting, yes, everyone. I’d not really been around! I didn’t end up with any of them. I had very romantic crushes. Being on a film set was mad.” But the 24 year old insists her infatuation didn’t prevent her from befriending Knightley, who she now calls her role model. Mulligan adds, “She’s done bigger films than I have done. Obviously – she’s massively famous. But, yeah, she is (a role model). She has a lot of bad stuff to deal with. She gets a really hard time from the press sometimes, and she deals with it really gracefully. Also, she’s one of my best friends, so it’s hard to talk about her really. We’re really close. Keira and I are very tight.”

Keira Knightley was spotted in Tuscany over the summer, according to The Sunday Times. The Pirates of the Caribbean star is now believed to be looking at Italy villas. A source told the paper that Knightley is particularly interested in properties in Tuscany. Her “hunting ground” centres on Barga in the Garfagnana valley. If she buys a villa in Italy, Knightley will add to her property portfolio. The 24 year old also took her pick of the London apartments and owns a £1.5m flat in Mayfair. Source: holidaylettings.co.uk

Keira was voted #13 at The 100 Sexiest Movie Stars! Here’s what they had to say:
The new Julie Christie began life as a cross between Natalie Portman and Winona Ryder – in other words, someone so elfin and graceful that she could have stepped right out of Rivendell. Impossible cheekbones, fiery eyes, and a plummy English accent that’s considered one of the sexiest around; Knightley’s the complete package, as happy doing period drama as she is toting a big machine gun in the likes of Domino.
Most alluring as… Our lawyers assure us that we can’t say The Hole, so let’s go for Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl, where she shivered many a man’s timber.
Interests include… Collecting shoes, apparently. Which is a godsend for anyone trying to write witty comments about a star’s hobby.

Sienna Miller envies her pal and fellow British actress Keira Knightley — because she has managed to keep her private life out of the media. The Factory Girl actress — who starred opposite Knightley in 2007’s The Edge of Love – says she wishes she could avoid attention like the Pirates of The Caribbean star. “I haven’t been as bright in some of the decisions I’ve made,” Sienna said. “Keira’s just a more evolved person. “I feel we live in the kind of culture now where you have to be very smart to navigate the right way, and I just don’t have those smarts. I think with age and time it will change, but I can’t obsess about it.”

The director working on Keira Knightley’s upcoming stage debut has been forced to defend her decision to hire the Hollywood actress – following criticism about theatres using big names to sell tickets. The Pirates of the Caribbean star is to make her first appearance in London’s West End in December to tackle the role of fictitious, flirtatious actress Jennifer in Moliere classic The Misanthrope. She will appear alongside Damian Lewis and Tara Fitzgerald in the play, which is scheduled to open in the British capital on December 17. But director Thea Sharrock is adamant the production will not trade on the actress’ high profile. She says, “It’s not the Keira Knightley show. She’s the leading lady because she has the biggest female role, but she’s not the lead part. This is Damian’s show. I signed up to work with Damian Lewis because it’s brilliant to get him back on stage. And along the way we happened to get Keira Knightley, which is fantastic and I’m very excited but, you know, it’s in that order.” And Sharrock admits she has been pleasantly surprised by Knightley’s dedication to the role. She adds, “It’s not a whim on her part. She’s absolutely ready to come into this vulnerable position – and I’m interested in working with her, to push her in a way that I don’t think she has been pushed before because although she has worked with amazing directors, film doesn’t work like that.”

Keira Knightley’s stage debut has taken £1million at the box office within just four days – and the cast hasn’t even started rehearsals yet. The West End production, a new version of Molière’s famous comedy The Misanthrope, which also stars Damian Lewis, hadn’t been advertised until this week, with just a small article in Baz Bamigboye’s Daily Mail column breaking the news a few days ago, which was swiftly picked up by news outlets around the world. However, fans of the Oscar-nominated star have since flooded the box office line with ticket requests, almost guaranteeing a sell-out success when it opens for previews in early December. It’s been a quiet year for Keira, who’s kept her flawless face out of the papers thanks to a full-on schedule of filming and few red carpet appearances. However, it’ll be business as usual next year with four of the star’s films due for release, including the eagerly awaited London Boulevard, co-starring Colin Farrell and Anna Friel, and Never Let Me Go, alongside Charlotte Rampling and hot new face Carey Mulligan.
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Damian Lewis is positive that Keira Knightley will do a terrific job when she makes her debut on the West End stage. The Band Of Brothers star will be appearing alongside the British actress in the West End production of Moliere’s comedy The Misanthrope, which opens in December. “She’s got quite a successful acting dad and playwright mum, so she can handle herself – Keira is fabulous, she’s an absolute sweetheart – she’s looking forward to it as well so we’re going to have fun,” he said.