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Keira Knightley Escapes into New Role
21-Sep-2008
Written by: Jessica McCumber
The star opens up about being “The Duschess.”
Keira Knightley has been a colonial daughter turned deck hand in the epic Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, and was the lead in the colonial love story, Pride and Prejudice. Hum, anyone see a pattern? Most of us do, but according to the bostonherald.com, the star wouldn’t have it another way.
During their interview, the actress says she loves playing these period roles, even down to what has to be uncomfortable lace and corsets. It’s all in the name of escape for the 23-year-old, and her upcoming film, The Duchess, is no exception.
“For me, what I love about film is its complete escapism. I find personally that these costumes, these weird societies, help me to forget my life. I actually just dive into the story. I think that’s why as an actress I like being in them as well. It’s a way into a fantastic fantasy world.”
The Duchess is based on the 18th century Dutchess of Devonshire who was a fashion and political icon to the public but who suffered privately in an unhappy marriage to the Duke of Devonshire, one of England’s wealthiest men.
So what did Knightley think of the 18th century wife who was the epitome of the saying, money can’t buy you happiness?
“I thought she was fabulous. . . . A fascinating character who was politically so influential, such a huge fashion icon and such a force of nature. And yet privately she was so intensely vulnerable. She was incredibly lonely.”
She even goes on to say this new character may have been a lot of things back in her day, but a victim of circumstances the Duchess was not.
“I don’t like to think of her as a victim. Yes, she was horrendously oppressed and all the rest of it, but I think actually, fundamentally, she is a survivor.”
As far as comparisons of the Duchess to the late Princess Diana, Knightley says she wants moviegoers to pay attention to the person the movie is actually about because she doesn’t make comparisons herself.
“I think I was about 11 when she died. I’m not really aware of exactly what her story is, and certainly not enough to be able to draw direct parallels, I didn’t look into that as inspiration, partly because (The Duchess) is really based on such a wonderful biography. We did intend to make the film about Georgiana, not Diana.”
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