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Keira Knightley covers the October issue of Vogue Mag. I’ve been waiting for a week to see this pictorial, and it does not disappoint. Mario Testino photographed Keira beautifully and lovingly, and Testino also took some beautiful portraits of Aaron Taylor Johnson and Jude Law too – you can see Vogue’s slideshow here. I’ve included some of what I consider the most beautiful shots of Keira. I don’t particularly care for the cover shot, but I adore the corsetry and period styles that Keira is wearing in the rest of the shoot.
As for the interview – Vogue has released the entire piece here. I’m including some highlights below too. Obviously, Keira is promoting her role in Anna Karenina, and I have to give her some credit – she’s really given a good interview to Vogue.
On her engagement to James Righton: The questions and musings come thick and fast. It’s no longer “I,” she acknowledges, “but that big old ‘we.’ ” Where, for example, will she and Righton spend their first Christmas as a married couple? “I have no idea; it’s a massive question,” she says with semi-seriousness. “My family was just four”—Keira has an older brother, Caleb—“and very simple. Now all of a sudden it’s breaking into different parts. I cannot imagine my mother letting us go.”
Feminism, work and motherhood: And then there are the really big decisions to wrestle with, such as motherhood and work. The feminist debate reignited earlier this year by former State Department director of policy planning Anne-Marie Slaughter, who announced that she was putting the needs of her family ahead of her own career, has obviously struck a nerve with Keira. “I’m glad that the subject is coming up again,” she says. “I remember doing interviews, and people would ask, as if it was a joke, ‘So you mean you are a feminist?’ As though feminism couldn’t be discussed unless we were making fun of it. I don’t want to deny my femininity,” she continues. “But would I want to be a stay-at-home mother? No. On the other hand, you should be allowed to do that, as should men, without being sneered at.”
Taking a break from work: Looking back on her decision to take nine months off, Keira searches for the right words. “I literally had no life outside of acting, and I just wanted to go off and not be ‘on’ all the time, not be photographed, not. . . . ” She pauses, then remembers, laughing. “I once went to the Glastonbury music festival”—practically a rite of passage for every English teenager—“and was completely surrounded by packs of paparazzi the entire time, so I ended up sitting in a trailer, unable to go out.”
Playing Anna Karenina: Keira loved the challenge. “When I reread the book last summer, I went, ‘Oh!’ It’s not a romance at all. I don’t think that Tolstoy is saying this is what you should do for love; quite a lot of the time he is saying the reverse. He hates Anna at certain moments. She is both a villain and a heroine. She can be incredibly vain and manipulative. She is somebody who breaks her own moral code, and yet the shame and disgust she lives with because of that make her fascinating.”
She doesn’t need to play the heroine: “I think a lot of people want to play heroic characters, and that’s it,” she says. “But I don’t find that very compelling. It’s far more interesting to think about characters whose actions don’t always make sense. The fact is, the opposite is always alive in every decision. And if you look at your own life, and the way you’ve behaved and thought, it won’t always make sense either.”
Keira is 27 years old now – and she’s been incredibly famous for a decade. I think she sounds extraordinarily sane and down-to-earth, much to her credit. I’ve kind of fallen in love with her all over again, if truth be told. Sigh… now I really can’t wait to see Anna Karenina. SO excited!
Photos courtesy of VOGUE/Mario Testino.
Written by Kaiser
Posted in Keira Knightley
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she looks fantastic in these photos..
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I like her more and more these days. There was a time when I couldn’t stand her, but she seems more grounded now. Good for her.
I hope she isn’t doing her nose thing in Anna Karenina. She used to pucker up her nose, it looked ridiculous – like Kristen Stewart’s lip biting.
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+1 to all your points here.
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Gorgeous! I want the blue dress! I don’t care that I have no where to wear or store it. I want it!!!
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I understand!
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She’s very striking!
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I’ve kind of been off and on with Keira but I’ve always thought she gives a good interview. I’ve no freaking clue what’s on her head in the 3rd pic though. I really don’t get fashion…
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Wow, she manages to give an interview without talking about her boyfriend licking her armpits or dropping f-bombs to gain attention and she doesn’t diss her collegues in order to seperate herself from other actresses. She looks nobel in the photos. Beautiful.
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I think you mean Kristen Stewart. This is Keira Knightley.
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I think that was the point of the comment. OP was drawing a contrast between the two!
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I love what she said about feminism. She sounds intelligent and non-judgmental, while still making a hard point about the way the media talks to women about their private lives as compared to men. She had to walk a very fine line and did so beautifully.
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I love the first picture under the cut.
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I love her. The interview, the photos, it’s all beautiful, elegant, and perfect. No snark from this corner!
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She looks beautiful, but that 3rd pic down, she looks like she’s wearing lamp shades…
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Love her!
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Such beautiful pictures!
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INCREDIBLE. No one does period costumes like Kiera.
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She had a unique beauty about her. She is a good actress, as well. Can’t wait to see this movie.
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These photos are great.
I can’t exactly explain why, and know lots of people don’t feel this way, but I just love to watch Kiera onscreen. I find her face & acting highly compelling.
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I agree about just loving to watch her face on screen. I feel that way about Maggie Ghylenhall too. They both are so beautiful to me, but in a unique way. Keira sounds more grown up. She is famous for cursing thru interviews but this one sounds clean.
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Wow, I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder because I think Maggie Gyllenhaal might be one of the ugliest women in show biz. She may be a great actress but her Droopy Dog face is actually hard for me to look at. Glad someone finds her beautiful though, that’s really sweet of you.
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I always thought Maggie was uniquely pretty too.
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Maggie Gyllenhall beautiful??? Ummmmm……..ok. Agree with the other poster….shes one of the ugliest of the uglies in HWood….second only to dear sarah Jessica Parker…….
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Meh. Not impressed
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Can’t believe across the pond people like her. The Brits can’t stand her, she’s a very limited actor who pretends to sound somewhat interesting.
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Terrible actress, they could have cast anyone but her in Anna Karenina, she ruined that movie, it looks like a commercial for Channel #5.
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Great model. Terrible actress.
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Hey! Look! Yet another Vogue I have no interest in buying! Excellent score, Anna Wintour!
Keira Knightly irritates the bejesus out of me. About the only things I like about her is that she hasn’t succumbed to any pressure to get implants and she’s a feminist.
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Big fan Keira just wait to see her new movie !
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Gorgeous woman, brilliant, intelligent and very articulate person and if not excellent a decent actress, what’s not to love about her?
She has an exquisite and unique beauty that makes her striking!
I remember once mean spirited people labelled her the “poor man’s Natalie Portman”… I think she has turned the table around very well and actually Natalie Portman even with her oscar can be now labelled the “poor man’s Keira Knightley”
I used to only find her very beautiful but I have grown greatly fond of her lately.
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I think she’s a decent actress and interesting in interviews. She is certainly attractive, but I get distracted by her pinched nose and that weird thing going on with her jaw (underbite?). It’s like watching Kirsten Dunst before she fixed her snaggleteeth.
Keira and Natalie are not the poor man’s anything. They both have talent. Natalie has demonstrated good range in her films and I think she has classic good looks because her features are well-proportioned. Keira seems much more articulate at answering questions. Natalie can comfort herself with her Oscar when people get too mean.
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Ahahahahahaha…….Natalie has range?? Seriously? Manic panic and a stripper thong did not make her any more believable in Closer. She can do uptight perfectionist rich girl well and that’s about it. Hence the Oscar.
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“Natalie can comfort herself with her Oscar when people get too mean”
Yeah Gwyneth Paltrow and Sandra Bullock have oscars too… while Julianne Moore, Naomi Watts, Emma Thomson or Annette Benning don’t.
And I am pretty sure that most people do not hesitate a mere second to recognize incredible talented actresses while enjoying the work of the second ones…while concerning the first ones cited I am pretty sure the only positive thing we can say is: well they have an oscar!! and nobody is fooling himself about the real value of the award.
This is exactly how much Natalie Portman’s oscar’s is valued.
So in reality SHE IS the poor man’s Keira Knightley.
The woman is overrated , dull, up her arse and pretentious.
Maybe Keira does not have an oscar, but she has everything else going for her.
Your compararison is like comparing Goop and Naomi Watts, Goop being here Natalie.Oviously!
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@lafairy: Yo, Emma Thompson has TWO Oscars, for acting (Howard’s End) and screenwriting (Sense and Sensibility). That’s how magnificent she is.
In general, though, the Oscars are a crapshoot and someone like Natalie Portman should not get one until someone like Annette Bening has already received hers.
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@Aotearovian; Thanks for correting me on Emma Thompson, it makes me feel totally relieved for her greatness!
Otherwise we are totally on the same tune!
Annette Benning no oscar!! and 2 facial expressions Natalie Portman an oscar!
^^ This is why oscars had became empty of real recogniction and talent signification!
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I love hating her.
Anyway, she’s beyond gorgeous. Thank God she’s not blonde anymore.
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I won’t judge mothers that work if they don’t judge me for staying at home and having no desire whatsoever to work. Crap like this is why I’m no feminist and quite frankly, dislike being around other women. Too much judgment and snide little digs at each other about things that are none of their business. I don’t get it, I honestly could care less what other women do as long as they leave me out of their cruel pettiness…which they don’t. Why do women do this? Can someone explain it to me because I just don’t understand!
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ALL women don’t.
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…hahahahahaha!!!! Im with you! Totally agree!
…why?? women are Bs…plain and simple…..go on girl! If I could stay home I would too!
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Clearly you know Nothing about feminism. Women who dislike other women are usually exactly the kind of women they dislike – catty and judgmental.
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Beautiful! I was afraid when I saw the title that she was just going to be another “feminist” that bashes women that don’t work outside the home. I’m glad she’s representing women well and supporting that all women can make the decisions that are best for them and their families. I like her even better than I did before.
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ITA. I had a fight with a friend after I told her I wanted to be a stay at home mum when I eventually have kids. I consider myself a feminist, and I don’t think I should be made to go back to work just to fit into someone’s idea of what a modern woman is. The point of feminisn is that we have the choice of working, staying at home, or anything else we feel like doing.
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To be honest, more women seem to judge women who DO NOT have kids because somehow our lives are unfulfilled or meaningless without them. Not every woman needs or wants to have kids. I want to have a fulfilling career and volunteer; help people as much as possible and that would never ever happen if I have kids. They would have to come first. That doesn’t mean I am a bad person. But sadly our society especially women feel they need to pressure women my age (31) to have kids so I can be a part of some club. I think some women are jealous that I have no obligations and can come and go as I please. I have gotten grief from coworkers more times than I can count about not having kids. I am sorry, I am not going into debt and having kids that I will neglect to make some coworkers feel better about themselves.
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I don’t mean to stir the pot, but these days, I feel like it is the stay at home mother who is looked down upon as not living up to her potential and somehow wasting herself by choosing to stay home. I wish we as women could a) be honest with ourselves about what we really want and b) not judge anyone’s choice as less meaningful or not as good as the one you might have made
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Its funny because all the women I meet do think women should be working and its a luxury to be a stay at home mother, but in their mnds, at least they had a kid and I am thus worthless because I did not and much much lower in their minds than a stay at home mom. Its all who we know too. I just moved to Canada where you get a year’s worth of maternity leave, so it will be interesting to see the difference. In Nc and Ny though, women were pushing me to have kids.
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Jesus, are you me? Also a 31 year old CF Andrea who cops the same rubbish. Spooky.
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Wow, are you me? Also a 31 year old CF Andrea who cops the same rubbish. Spooky.
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Wow, are you me? I’m also a 31 year old CF Andrea who cops the same nonsense about having kids. Spooky.
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Interesting that you’re experiencing that. I’m 33 and don’t have children, and I’m not sure if I ever will. I know that I don’t harbour any desire for a child at this point. It looks like bloody hard work and frankly I’m not sure I’m up to it. I’ll tell anyone that if they ask, but no one has given me a hard time about it, at all.
I really don’t get the judgement of women’s choices (IF they’re lucky enough to have real choices, which the majority of women are not). Life is difficult enough without us turning on one another.
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She’s beautiful
I wonder if GaGa ever gets jealous that Kiera can pull off extreme styling without cheapening it.
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She is so underrated, IMHO
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Why is her head so damn gigantic?
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Interesting, pretty photos, and a decent interview.
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In my expeience, many of my frinds who are currently stay-at-home-mothers also thought they would never want to stay at home with their kids…till they actually had them. Its like commenting on how people parent till you have some kids of your own: vaguely amusing as to a degree you have no idea of which you speak. I say this as someone who also used to think I knew it all….
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She looks more and more like Helena Bonham Carter all the time. And I mean that as a sincere compliment. Both are gorgeous.
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Except Helena cant dress to save her life and continualy looks like a hobo although she is a beautiful woman otherwise………
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Keira is so talented and pretty. These photos are amazing.
I could never be a stay-at-home mom. I’m completely against it. My mother was and she always told me being financially dependent was the biggest mistake of her life.
I have not had kids yet, but some of my friends have them and they all say that after a couple of months giving birth, they were tired of being home and wanted to go back to their jobs. And they are great mothers, but need to have a life aside it.
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I always found her pretty (even before her nose job). I really liked her interview, it totally made me forget how jealous I am that she has worked with Fassie and Colin Farrel.
ps: I thought she was older. I thought she was 17 when she shot “Love actually”.
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Jude Law’s portrait is DELISH.
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I absolutely love the dresses and styling of the shoot. Keira works the old style so well. Can’t wait to see Anna Karenina !
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Has she gained some weight?
I think she looks better.
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Very likable woman. But I truly thought she had carpal tunnel syndrome from that Vogue cover. It looks like she’s wearing a brace.
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