Keira Knightley Discusses Feeling as an ‘Object of Lust’ in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’
Keira Knightley, known for her role in Pirates of the Caribbean, has revealed that portraying Elizabeth Swann made her feel “caged” as she was primarily viewed as a sexual object.
She has since endeavored to distance herself from such characters in her career.
“[Elizabeth] was the object of everyone’s lust. And it isn’t that she has no fight left in her, but it was interesting coming from being tomboyish to being projected as quite the opposite.”
“I felt constrained, I felt very stuck, so the roles afterward were about trying to come out of that.” “I did not have a sense of how to articulate it. It felt like I was caged in a thing I didn’t understand.”
Keira Knightley confesses feeling 'caged' after being 'object of lust' in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ role https://t.co/rjfaSIkO4W
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 8, 2023
Knightley has been nominated twice for Oscars. She starred in the first movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl, in 2003, with Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, along with three sequels.
In Keira Knightley’s Words
She spoke to Harper’s Bazaar UK, “There’s a funny place where women are to sit publicly, and I never felt alright with that. It was a big jolt. I was being judged on what I was projecting.”
The actress, 37, admitted that she put too much pressure on herself at the beginning of her career. She felt she was “never good enough.” She spoke about her pressure to conform to Hollywood’s beauty standards and how it affected her work.
“I remember the first Pirates movie came out. And everyone was talking about how much they fancied me. And I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a bit weird,'” she said.
“But then I realized that it was because I was playing this character being objectified by the male characters in the film. It was something that I had never experienced before, and it was uncomfortable.”
Keira Knightley wanted to "break out" of being an object of desire after PIRATES.
“[Elizabeth Swann] was the object of everybody’s lust. it was interesting coming from being tomboyish..I felt very constrained. I was caged in a thing I didn’t understand.”https://t.co/Va5zfgOyUb
— Zack Sharf (@ZSharf) March 8, 2023
Knightley explained that she often felt people judged her based on her appearance rather than her acting abilities. “There were a lot of comments about how I looked, what I was wearing, and whether I was ‘sexy’ enough for the role,” she said.
“It made me feel I was just an object for people to look at, rather than a real person with thoughts and feelings.”
Keira’s relentless pursuit of self-improvement eventually took a toll, leaving her drained. Reflecting on her younger days, she expresses admiration for her former self. Despite the challenges, she persevered and overcame all obstacles.
Keira’s Rise to Stardom
Knightley initially gained prominence with her roles in the science-fiction flick Star Wars: Episode I–The Phantom Menace. She also starred in the football-themed comedy Bend It Like Beckham.
She has since appeared in various productions ranging from period dramas to romantic comedies such as Love Actually.
Her performances in 2005’s Pride & Prejudice, where she portrayed Elizabeth Bennet in a regency period comedy-drama, earned her a nomination for the Best Actress award.
Also, her role in the World War II biopic The Imitation Game (2014) as Alan Turing’s supporter earned her a nod for Best Supporting Actress. “I think it’s important for women to see themselves represented on screen in all their complexity,” she said.
“We need to see more female characters who are not just there to be objectified or to serve as love interests for the male characters. We need to see women who are strong, independent, and capable of making their own decisions.”
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