Just have a think back to what you were doing when you were the age that Keira Knightly starred in the franchise.
Keira Knightley has surprised her fans by revealing how young she was when she starred in the franchise that would skyrocket her career.
If you remember 2003, things were quite different back then.
Social media was nothing like it is today, and there was no Netflix or streaming at home. It really was like living in the dark ages.
But the early 2000s did have great movies, and one of the biggest global franchises was just beginning. I’m talking about Pirates of the Caribbean.
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The first three movies in the series are a real blast, featuring funny performances, iconic scenes, and an amazing soundtrack.
A big part of the franchise’s success is due to one of its main characters, Elizabeth Swann, played by British actress Keira Knightley.
Recently, some fans were shocked to learn how young Knightley was when she took on the role.
Many were stunned by the news, and it’s easy to see why.
How old did you think she was? Mid-20s? Early-20s? Either way, you’d be off the mark.
Walt Disney Pictures
Knightley was actually just 17 when they started filming.
One Twitter user wrote: “This must be a LIE,” while another wrote: “Wtf, I never knew.”
“Can you believe Keira Knightley was only 17 when Pirates of the Caribbean the Curse of the Black Pearl was filmed,” someone else said as they shared images of the star in the role.
And a third wrote: “When I watched the movie I thought she was older than me.”
“The fact Keira Knightley gave us these two iconic characters in the same year WHILE SHE WAS ONLY 17,” commented another referencing her being in Love Actually that same year.
Keira Knightley has spoken out about the issues she had with fame. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios
With the success of the first film and its follow-up sequels came fame and celebrity status, which Knightley has commented on, saying it hasn’t always been a positive experience for her.
Knightley told Variety in a 2016 interview: "I found it pretty horrific. I’m not an extrovert, so I found that level of scrutiny and that level of fame really hard."
"It was an age where you are becoming, you haven’t become, and you need to make mistakes. It’s a very precarious age, particularly for women."
"You’re in some ways still a child. It was traumatic, but it set up the rest of my career."
Despite the challenges she faced then and in the years that followed, the actress has said she wouldn’t change a thing.
Speaking to Variety in 2018 she said: "I’m unbelievably lucky now, and my career is in a place where I really enjoy it, and I have a level of fame that’s much less intense."
"I can deal with it now, and that’s great. But at the time, it was not so great, and took many years of therapy to figure it out."
