• As a result of her rapid rise to fame, Knightley has been the focus of significant media attention. She has been described by press reports as “famously open with media,” although Knightley herself has stated “I don’t talk about my private life.”
• Knightley was ranked #79 by FHM in the magazine’s 2004 UK edition of 100 Sexiest Women in the World list, #18 in 2005, and was named “the sexiest woman in the world in 2006.” The US edition ranked her #54 in 2004, #11 in 2005, and #5 in 2006. In May 2006, she was #9 on Maxim’s 2006 Hot 100. She was also named “the number one beauty icon of 2007″ by a poll of 2500 people conducted by UK high street chain Superdrug. Knightley appeared nude, along with Scarlett Johansson, on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine’s March 2006 “Hollywood” issue.
• Knightley was the celebrity face for the luxury goods brand Asprey, as well as Lux haircare products in Japanese television commercials. In April 2006, she was confirmed as the new celebrity face of Chanel’s perfume Coco Mademoiselle, though the first photo from the campaign was not released until May 2007.
Knightley’s Valentino gown at the 2006 Golden Globe Awards won her much acclaim and even landed her the top spot on Steven Cojocaru’s “Best Dressed List” on Entertainment Tonight, while the dress she wore to the 2006 Academy Awards was donated to the charity Oxfam, where it raised £4,300.
• Knightley has warned children who dream of the celebrity life that it’s not all what it seems to be. “It frightens me when kids go, ‘I want to be famous.’” In a recent interview with the BBC Knightley said that she feels “de-humanised.” She also said that when a person becomes a celebrity, the public doesn’t care that the person’s life is constantly watched.
• While she has no current plans to leave the world of film, Knightley has said that she could not imagine subjecting a child to the media. She is quoted as saying, “I’m not planning to have children at the moment… everyone changes, and I’m sure there will be a time I will want to do something different. I could completely see myself moving away [from acting].”