Keira Knightley decided to reduce her movie workload because she was suffering from “exhaustion”. The “Never Let Me Go” actress – who in the past has admitted she can see herself moving away from acting altogether – made the decision she needed a year off from lead roles after she was left drained after playing Georgiana Cavendish in 2008′s “The Duchess”. She explained: “After I did “The Duchess” I was absolutely exhausted and I just went, ‘OK, I need to stop’. So I took a year off and I’ve been playing a lot of supporting roles recently. “I haven’t taken a lead, and I think that’s partly because of that need to find a balance.” However, the 25-year-old star accepts she is “incredibly privileged” to be able to pick and choose when she works. Keira added: “I’m in an incredibly privileged position where I can choose my work. I suppose I’m looking to be stimulated in things that I can put myself into which teach me something about myself and the world.”

Source: Contactmusic

Keira Knightley had to get permission from her mother to buy her most expensive item of clothing. The millionaire actress owns a sheepskin coat from fashion house Burberry, which cost £2,795, but she could only go through with the purchase after being given the go-ahead by her mum Sharman MacDonald – who told her she had to wear the garment every day. She told Britain’s Elle magazine: “My mum was like, ‘You cannot spend that amount of money on a coat,’ and I was like, ‘No, you’re right I can’t, I can’t’. And then literally it was months and months of thinking about it and thinking, ‘I’m not going to do it, I’m not going to do it.’ “But then she said, ‘Right, if you’re going to buy it, you have to wear it all the time.’ “I wore it every day last year and I’m going to wear it every day this year”. Keira has long been careful with her finances, and in 2009 she revealed the global recession had made her stop buying expensive designer shoes and start renting them instead. Keira, now 25, explained: “I think when I was very young and I suddenly started earning a bit of money and I could actually afford to buy shoes, I got very excited and bought a lot. I mean a lot! “I haven’t bought any in quite a while. Now I just rent them for the day. They give them to me for the day and I give them back in the evening, which is good.”

Source: Contactmusic

Keira Knightley has redeemed herself with her return to London’s West End stage, winning over critics with her performance in “The Children’s Hour” The British actress was mauled after making her stage debut in “The Misanthrope” in 2009, but she refused to let the bad reviews stop her from signing up for a stint in Lillian Hellman’s 1934 play. And when the curtain went up, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star managed to impress the audience and draw praise for her role as a headmistress accused of having a lesbian affair with her colleague. Charles Spencer of Britain’s Daily Telegraph wrote that Knightley “displays confidence throughout before rising in the final act to dramatic heights that are shattering in their intensity.” The Guardian’s theatre critic Michael Billington said Knightley and her co-star Elisabeth Moss “prove as potent a combination on stage as at the box office”, adding: “(The) atmospheric, slow-burning and ultimately enthralling production proves far more compelling than I expected.” Meanwhile, filmmaker Gurinder Chadha, who made Knightley a film star after casting her in “Bend It Like Beckham”, was blown away by the actress’ performance. She tells the Press Association, “I thought it was very powerful, I’m a bit overcome. I’m so proud of Keira.”

Source: Contactmusic

Keira Knightley has spent more than £2 million on a house. The 25-year-old actress’s new 18th Century property – located in east London – is said to boast some amazing features, such as a cinema room, dressing room, library and music parlour. The splurge comes shortly after the “Never Let Me Go” star split from her long-term boyfriend Rupert Friend, whom she dated for five years. To get over the break-up she was seen on a night out with her actress pal Sienna Miller last month, eating at Soho restaurant Bocca Di Lupo before hitting the Lucky Voice karaoke bar for some fun in London’s Soho area.

Source: Contactmusic

Keira Knightley has sparked rumours she’s found romance again after she was pictured arm-in-arm with a mystery man just weeks after her split from Rupert Friend. The actress’ five-year relationship with her “Pride & Prejudice” co-star came to an end by mutual agreement shortly before Christmas. But she’s now fuelled gossip about her love life by stepping out with an unidentified man in London. Knightley was photographed linking arms with the man as they strolled through the British capital’s Chinatown district after enjoying drinks at a cocktail bar.

Source: Contactmusic