She began acting as a child and came to international notice in 2002 after co-starring in the film Bend It Like Beckham. 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. Knightley was born in Teddington, London, England, the daughter of Sharman MacDonald, an award-winning playwright, and Will Knightley, a theatre and television actor. Her father is English and her Scottish mother is of half Welsh ancestry. Knightley, born Kiera, switched her name to Keira to make it easier for international audiences to pronounce.
