Few actresses enjoy the kind of success Keira Knightley saw in the past few years. Her motion picture starring debut in Pirates Of The Caribbean, entered the list of the all-time Top 20 of box-office hits and its sequel did even better. Then, due to these recent successes, her earlier low-budget effort, Bend It Like Beckham, which was already a cult smash, saw its popularity widen dramatically. She also appeared in dramedy Love, Actually and her rise in Hollywood these past few years has been nothing short of phenomenal. Yet, despite her tender years, Knightley already had a fair amount of working experience. Like such American actresses as Kirsten Dunst and Julia Stiles, she had begun her career at an absurdly young age. Unlike them, though, she had not done so through the actions of “pushy” parents. Knightley’s focus was all her own, and had first become apparent at the absurdly young age of three.

Keira Knightley is beautiful young actress and if you needed any more proof of that, why not go and see Pirates of the Caribbean 3 when it opens this summer! DCM: What was it like taking on the character of Elizabeth Swann a third time? Keira Knightley: It was great, it was quite scary. I’ve never done sequels before and I’ve always said of any of the characters that I’ve played that - if I played them now - I’d play them completely differently. It was weird trying to find a continuity with a character that I’d played when I was 17. We had big problems because she was quite black and white in the first film, very strait-laced, and we couldn’t really see how to carry her on - so, we went off into a grungier look for he. That was really exciting - taking the character and making her grow up. I don’t know if there’s any continuity, but it was fun!

DCM: How did you keep a straight face during your funnier scenes, especially with Johnny Depp?

Knightley: Don’t look at Johnny - ignore him at all costs! He was actually quite nice because he wouldn’t do the full-on Jack Sparrow routine if the camera was on you. But as soon as the camera turns around you couldn’t do any off camera lines because you were laughing too much.

DCM: What was it like filming Pirates 2 then Pirates 3 straight afterwards?

Knightley: It got really confusing towards the end of shooting because that’s when we really crossed over with 3. I did some of the press in L.A. and couldn’t remember what was in 2 and what was in 3, and therefore had no idea what the storyline was so it was lovely seeing it and going, ‘Oh right, that’s how it all works.’

DCM: How was filming Pirates 3 for you?

Knightley: We were shooting in a place called Palmdale, which is about two and a half hours outside L.A. It’s not the prettiest place on Earth, but they’ve built some amazing sets. It was really great to have a break in between the films. We worked together for over a year on 2 and everybody needed a breather. The time off was fantastic, but we were all really excited to get back to finish up the storyline.

DCM: How much fun did you have? You have such a strong female role.

Knightley: Looking back at it now, I can say it was great fun. I think there were certain bits when I was climbing up the side of a ship in a dress, heels and a corset at 4:30 in the morning, that maybe I wasn’t too happy. But it was great fun and I was very lucky with the guys I was working with, cause they’re a wicked bunch.

DCM: Can you talk a little bit about working with Johnny Depp?

Knightley: It’s really weird, because he’s such a huge star, and very Hollywood. But he’s such a nice bloke, and we’d be over at the crafts services wagon and he’d make a cup of tea and we’d have a chat and a giggle and do a scene. He’s just really, really, really lovely.

DCM: What did you think of his take on the character of Captain Jack Sparrow when you first saw it?

Knightley: I loved it. He’s one of the few actors around at the moment who will take such huge risks. And it was a risk, you know, but he’s got the guts to play a part like that. I think it’s a brilliant part for him. Certainly, as a young actress, it was great to see somebody doing it, and not being afraid to do it. And I really admired him for that. It was so spontaneous - it made us all giggle. It created a really fun atmosphere.

DCM: Did it affect the way you played your character?

Knightley: No. I think I sometimes just kinda felt like, “Well, I can’t compete with that, so I’ll just say the line and let you get on with it.” It was just really great to see somebody having such laughs with what he was doing. The same with Geoffrey (Rush). You’re doing a pirate movie. It’s not everyday that you get to do a pirate movie. You might as well go for it. And that’s what they did for three films. It was great.

DCM: Did you do any research for your role over the series?

Knightley: History was always my favorite subject, and I love reading biographies and all that, so I knew a lot about this period before I started. But I didn’t do any specific research for it. I should have, though...I think Orlando (Bloom) did quite a bit. He always had pirate books floating around somewhere. I should have read them. I got obsessed with Napoleon and Josephine, so there was a lot of that. I’m just a history freak, so that’s my thing.

DCM: You were seventeen when you shot the first Pirates, and things are now going fast with your career in recent years. Did it all really start with Bend it Like Beckham?

Knightley: Yes - that’s the first thing I’ve been in that’s was hugely successful. I think it’s safe to say that. I did a film a year before, with Thora Birch, actually, where I played such a bitch. It was actually that part that got me the part in Bend it like Beckham. But I was a nice girl in that! [Laughter]