Five Takeaways from Keira Knightley’s Mastermind Cover Story
Her early brush with fame, her long-lasting marriage, her signature 2000s style; Keira Knightley gets candid in the new issue of Mastermind.
Creative Direction by Marie-Amélie Sauvé
Whether onscreen or off, Keira Knightley brings a rare mixture of candor and elegance. In her interview with Rachel Connolly published in Mastermind 18, now available for preorder, Knightley opens up about her unpleasant early experiences of fame and the projects that now excite her. While the full version of Knightley’s conversation can be found in the new issue, here are some highlights from her candid interview.
1. She struggled with the staggering level of attention she reached early in her career. “As soon as it happened I was very, ‘Oh shit, oh shit, I can’t handle this,’” she recalls. That discomfort led her to consciously avoiding big-budget projects: “I couldn’t take the fame that went with it,” Knightley explains. “That wasn’t a lifestyle I wanted.”
2. To what does she attribute the success of her marriage with her husband, musician James Righton? “We don’t want to break up. It’s as simple as that,” says Knightley. “Yes, we annoy each other. We argue, but fuck me, do we laugh! And I suppose that’s the key to everything.”
3. She loves to dance, though rarely gets the chance. Knightley recounts a rare carefree night in Lake Como at a Chanel afterparty: “Everyone put their phones away and danced, and it was sweaty and silly and ridiculous and totally great,” she says. “I hadn’t done it for about 10 years.”
4. Looking ahead, she admits an appetite for projects that entertain. “Who knows how I will feel next year, but this year I really want entertainment. That’s why I loved Black Doves – it was silly and fun. And it’s got a melancholia to it, a loneliness that makes it interesting. And yes, ultimately it’s a piece of entertainment.” Production on season two started this month.
5. Today, Knightley is regularly reminded of her early ‘00s signature fashion looks. A fellow tube passenger recently caused an episode of déjà vu: “I actually thought: ‘I wore all of that. She has better nails and more makeup, but apart from that, it’s like looking at myself on the tube at 17. Very bizarre.’ It was great.”
Read the full interview in Mastermind 18, available for pre-order here.