Keira went on to a very lucrative acting career. She is featured in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise as Elizabeth Swann, also starring Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. She has earned nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her role as Elizabeth Bennet in Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice. Two years later she again was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, as well as the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in Atonement.

In 2008, Forbes claimed Knightley to be the second highest paid actress in Hollywood, having reportedly earned $32 million in 2007, making her the only non-American on the list of highest paid actresses.

In 2009, Keira went topless in new ads for Coco Chanel perfume.

In 2011, Keira was cast alongside, Twilight sparkling vampire, Robert Pattinson for a movie, Cosmopolis, with director David Cronenberg. She also will star in another Cronenberg film called A Dangerous Method with Viggo Mortenson.