Keira Knightley has revealed she was ‘exhausted’ in the early years of her career because she put too much pressure on herself.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star, 37, felt like she was ‘never good enough’ and was always striving to be better.
Keira discussed navigating fame in a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK and she’ll also be starring on the cover of the April issue.
On realizing how much pressure she put on herself in the early years of her career, Keira said: ‘I was incredibly hard on myself. I was never good enough. I was completely single-minded. I was very ambitious. I was very inspired. I was always trying to be better and better and better, which is an exhausting way to live your life.
‘I’m in awe of my 22-year-old self, because I need a little more of his back. And it’s only not being around now that I realize how extraordinary it was. I never had an ounce that wasn’t looking for a way.’
The London native shot to fame playing a tomboy footballer in the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham.
She continued: ‘I had quite a rough entry into adult life, landing a peak due to the experience of fame at a very young age. There’s a funny place women are made to sit in public, and I’ve never felt comfortable in it. It was a big blow. I was being judged on the project I was doing.
On seeking to broaden her career following her breakout role of Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean, Keira explained: ‘She [Elizabeth Swann] He was the object of everyone’s lust.
‘It is not that there is not a lot of fighting in it. But it was interesting to actually be introduced as the exact opposite of tomboy. I was feeling very constrained. I was feeling very stuck.
‘ So the later roles were about trying to get the most out of him. I didn’t know how to express it. It felt like I was trapped in something I could not understand.’
She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet in the 2005 period piece Pride and Prejudice and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for playing Joan Clarke in the 2014 film The Imitation Game Was also
Keira has been married to British musician James Righton, 39, since 2013, and they have daughters Edie, seven, and Delilah, three.
Speaking on the demands of parenthood for a working mum, Keira said: ‘During filming, the hours are unpredictable and extreme. I worked out that I needed three people to do what one full-time parent did.
‘When you hear someone say, “I’m just staying home with the kids”, that’s not “justice”. This is a big deal.
‘The heavy lifting of childcare has to be acknowledged. It’s hard work, it’s important, it’s underestimated. And it’s very tiring.’
Kiara looked stunning in a cream maxi dress as she posed on a green couch during the front cover photoshoot.
After this, she wore a black tweed mini dress with gold button details while posing outside in the balcony.
The April issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK is available on sale from 9 March.
This happens as Kira prepares for the release of her new Hulu film, The Boston Stranger.
She was recently seen playing a reporter in the 1960s in new photos released Tuesday for her upcoming crime drama Boston Strangler.
In the upcoming Hulu film, the English actress portrays record-setting American newspaper reporter Loretta McLaughlin who was the first reporter to link the Boston Strangler murders.
Knightley was featured in the period stills alongside co-star Carrie Coon, 41, who plays her newsroom colleague and confidant Jean Cole.
A tweet posted by Hulu and 20th Century Studios said, “Experience the thrilling true story of two journalists who lead them to uncover one of the most infamous serial murder cases ever.”
Written and directed by Matt Raskin, the film also stars Alessandro Nivola, David Dastmalchian, Morgan Spector, Bill Camp, and Chris Cooper.
A true crime companion podcast from ABC Audio about the Boston Strangler will be released prior to the film’s debut.
Thirteen women were murdered in the Boston area in the early 1960s, and Albert DeSalvo later confessed to being the Boston Strangler serial killer after being charged with rape.
The Boston Strangler film was released in 1968 with the late Tony Curtis portraying DiSalvo.
David Faustino, 48, best known for playing Bud Bundy on the Fox sitcom Married with Children, also played DeSalvo in the 2008 film Boston Strangler: The Untold Story.
The film is set to hit the streaming service on March 17.