British actress Keira Knightley is seemingly the face of the period piece film genre. L'OFFICIEL's list of every film pre-dating modern times demonstrates why.

Acclaimed actress <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/keira-knightley-herve-leger-2005-wardrobe-malfunction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keira Knightley</a> has lived through many centuries in her film and TV roles. From <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/dakota-johnson-netflix-persuasion-jane-austen-adaptation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jane Austen</a> adaptations to aristocratic duchess dramas, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/keira-knightley-only-wore-chanel-quarantine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Knightley's</a> niche as a historical film actress has built up a career spanning over 20 years.
As period drama fans await the return of the beloved <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/phoebe-dynevor-daphne-bridgerton-netflix-facts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regency-era</a> series <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/bridgerton-season-2-teaser-spoilers-trailer-netflix-streaming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bridgerton</a>, Knightley's myriad <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/movies-with-best-period-costumes-marie-antoinette-emma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">period pieces</a> transport viewers into a bygone era full of passion, drama, and culture.

Though not a typical Knightley historical piece, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is loosely set during the mid-1700s. Knightley plays the leading female character, Elizabeth Swann, in four of the swashbuckler films. For her role as Elizabeth, Knightley received a number of award nominations, including Best Breakthrough Performance at the MTV Movie Awards.

"Pirates of the Caribbean" (2003-2017)

King Arthur is a historical film adapted from the ancient tale of King Arthur as he led a Sarmatian army during the fall of the Roman Empire. Developed from a variety of Arthurian legends, Knightley stars as Guinevere, a medieval queen and wife of King Arthur. Knightley would later criticize the film's marketing after following the controversy of her breasts being enlarged in the poster.

"King Arthur" (2004)

Pride and Prejudice, a film adaptation of Jane Austen's famous 1813 novel, is a classic hate-turned-love romantic drama. Knightley plays the lead role of Elizabeth Bennet, who eventually falls in love with the pompous aristocrat Mr. Darcy.&nbsp;One of Knightley's most acclaimed films, she received an <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/oscars-2020-how-to-stream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Academy Award</a> nomination for Best Actress.

"Pride and Prejudice" (2005)

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/saoirse-ronan-iconic-roles-movies-dating" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atonement</a> follows the love story of Cecilia Tallis (Knightley) and Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) as they are torn apart by war and other circumstances. In addition to its numerous award nominations, Atonement is especially notable for Knightley's green dress, being regarded as "unforgettable" by the film's costume designer Jacqueline Durran.

"Atonement" (2007)

Silk is a romance set in the 19th century, adapted from Alessandro Baricco's novel of the same name. Knightley is H&eacute;l&egrave;ne, the eventual wife of the protagonist Herv&eacute; Joncour (Michael Pitt), a silkworm smuggler who later finds numerous other lovers in his mission to Japan.&nbsp;

"Silk" (2007)

Based on the novel Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman, Knightley stars as Georgiana Spencer, an 18th-century aristocrat turned duchess through her marriage to the Duke of Devonshire, William Cavendish. Georgiana is the great-great-great-great aunt to Princess Diana, and Knightley encapsulates her famous beauty and charisma in The Duchess. Her performance as Georgiana earned her a Best Actress nomination at the British Independent Film Awards.

"The Duchess" (2008)

Set in the 1940s, The Edge of Love is a historical fiction biopic about poet Dylan Thomas (Cillian Murphy) and his marriage, friends, war, and complicated past romances. The two leading ladies are Thomas' wife Caitlin (<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/sienna-miller-movie-wander-darkly-interview-twiggy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sienna Miller</a>) and Knightley's character, Vera. Sharman Macdonald, Knightley's mother, was the writer of the script.

"The Edge of Love" (2008)

A Dangerous Method&nbsp;is inspired by true events shared between Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) in the early 1900s. The events of the film transpire due to their relationships with common hysteria patient Sabina Spielrein&mdash;played by Knightley&mdash;inevitably causing conflict between the two psychologists.

"A Dangerous Method" (2011)

Adapted from Leo Tolstoy's literary classic, Anna Karenina&nbsp;is a historical drama with Knightley as the title character. The tragic story about the downfall of a Russian socialite plays out during the late 1800s amid a crumbling marriage and a passionate affair. The film won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design, and Knightley herself received a number of nominations for best actress that year.

"Anna Karenina" (2012)

American historical drama The Imitation Game&nbsp;about the life of mathematician Alan Turing, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Set during the Second World War, Knightley's character Joan Clarke joins Alan's team of cryptanalysts to crack Nazi codes. The film received a number of accolades, with Knightley herself being nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards.

"The Imitation Game" (2014)

In Colette, Knightley plays the 19th-century French author, mime, and journalist Colette. Her husband Willy, a fellow writer, publishes one of her novels under his name, catapulting the couple into literary fame. Knightley's role finds herself in numerous affairs with women as the success of her novel grows.

"Colette" (2018)

Set in post-war Germany, The Aftermath&nbsp;is a romantic drama about a British army couple living in Hamburg. Knightley's character Rachael Morgan is the wife of a British colonel, Lewis, who brings his wife with him on his task to rebuild the city destroyed by the war. The dynamics between the couple and their German housemates result in a forbidden love story and betrayals.

"The Aftermath" (2019)

Boston Strangler is Knightley's upcoming period piece that is still in production. The drama follows the trail of 1960s serial killer the Boston Strangler as Knightley's character, journalist Loretta McLaughlin, breaks the story. As filming wrapped up this month, a release date isn't yet set, but it is confirmed to be eventually released by 20th Century Studios on Hulu.

Every Period Drama Keira Knightley Has Starred In

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