The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise premiered in 2003 with The Curse of the Black Pearl, starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley. The former recently opened up about her experience in the films, and Bloom reacted to the news with empathy and support for Knightley.
Bloom and Knightley played Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, respectively, in the first three films as leading actors, briefly reprising their roles in the fifth installment, 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales. By the time Bloom joined the franchise, he was already known thanks to the role of Legolas in The Lord of the Rings franchise, but Pirates of the Caribbean was a starting point for Knightley, as the role brought her worldwide recognition. At the same time, she explained that the exposure regarding her performance in the films affected her.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Bloom shared his support for Knightley, despite having a positive experience with the franchise himself. “It was such a huge moment in time that is almost like… it feels almost like another lifetime now,” Bloom shared about his time on the fantasy supernatural film series.
“But it certainly was unique and, you know, I’m always grateful. But I definitely understand where Keira was coming from, and she does wonderful things…. I have a lot of positive takeaways.”
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Knightley opened up about her experience with the films in an interview with The Times in November. The actress acknowledged the opportunity she had with the films, as she gained global recognition thanks to the role of Elizabeth Swann, a popularity that allowed her to do the films she wanted.
She explained that “it’s a funny thing when you have something that was making and breaking you at the same time,” Knightley recalled, explaining how she was “seen as sh*t” because of the films and the negative reception she received for her performance.
Knightley explained that because the Pirate of the Caribbeans films “did so well,” she got “the opportunity to do the films that I ended up getting Oscar nominations for.” At the height of her popularity, she got the role of Elizabeth Bennett in the beloved 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, which led to her first nomination. She received her second for 2014’s The Imitation Game.
Knightley highlighted, “They were the most successful films I’ll ever be a part of, and they were the reason that I was taken down publicly. So they’re a very confused place in my head.”
While Bloom has expressed an interest in returning to the franchise, Knightley further explained she has no plans to do the same because “the hours are insane,” and wants to focus on her family and spend time with them.
Published: Jan 30, 2025 3:09 PM UTC