This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
My Gen Z children are rarely impressed by the people I meet through work, but today is different: I’m speaking to Keira Knightley.
Young audiences consider her exceptionally cool, partly because she appeared in Love Actually, Richard Curtis’s 2003 Christmas film that became an unlikely Gen Z favourite, and partly because she now plays a spy in Netflix’s British thriller Black Doves. The series has the pace of a James Bond miniseries but a far more irreverent streak, and surrounds Knightley with British talent including Bond veteran Ben Whishaw.
Knightley speaks from a car on her way to a West End technical rehearsal for The Lives of Others, a stage adaptation of another spy thriller opening at the Adelphi Theatre. She is not driving. “No,” she says drily. “That would be a bit much.” Perhaps – although it would suit her Black Doves character.
For Helen Webb, danger is routine. She shoots her way out of trouble, dispatches assassins in the garden shed and happens to be married to the prime minister, who knows nothing of her double life. To him, she is a glamorous accessory at Number Ten and the mother of their two children.
“I’ve never played anyone who lies so openly,” she says with a giggle. “You’re at the centre of power, yet as the prime minister’s wife you’re also a bystander. That’s a curious position – unless you hold power over your husband. Betraying someone can make you all-powerful. Helen appears powerless, but she’s deceiving him constantly, and her morals may be nonexistent.”
View Green Video on the source websiteWith series two about to arrive, Knightley reflects on how sharply the role departed from what audiences expected. She has spent far more screen time in bonnets and hooped skirts than playing immoral assassins, but at 41 she admits the latter suits her better. “It taps into what I desperately wanted to do as a teenager. I would have jumped for joy at a role like this.”
The series turns London into a glittering setting for espionage and violence, which suits Knightley perfectly. “I love living here, but I hadn’t done much work where London was so integral. We wanted to capture its energy; it is almost the main character.”
Even so, this is Knightley’s show, whether Helen is fighting her way out of Somerset House or cracking a safe in a billionaire’s Paris flat before making another armed escape. Knightley performed most of the stunts herself. “I stopped doing stunts when I was younger because I became frightened, especially of guns. I’m older now and know what I need on set. Besides, I’ve always enjoyed sporty things.”
Football, naturally – Bend It Like Beckham was her 2002 breakthrough. Running is another matter. “I absolutely loathe it. My cardiovascular fitness is terrible. I make myself run, but I hate it. It’s particularly annoying because my husband is so much fitter than I am, and I’m very competitive.”
Could she be a spy? “No. I’m watching The Traitors and think I’d be like Richard E Grant,” she says, laughing. “I’d simply admit I was a Traitor. My children and I discussed whether I could go on it – every child wants a parent on The Traitors – and agreed I’d be awful. As a Faithful, I’d cry if everyone accused me. As a Traitor, I’d confess, just as Richard did.”
Yet the idea of acting as a Traitor fascinates her. “Motherhood gives you many faces. You are maternal with your children, while perhaps concealing a hedonistic past. I present one face at work, another at home and another at the school gate. But I don’t think I’ve played someone whose entire life is a lie. That differs from a character trapped by circumstance, such as Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice,” she says, referring to her Oscar-nominated role in the 2005 film.
Will she watch Netflix’s new Pride and Prejudice? “I’m so excited. I haven’t shown my children the old film because I’m in it – they understandably find watching me strange. But I can’t wait to show the new version to my 11-year-old; I think she’ll love it.”
Black Doves will not be joining the family watchlist soon. “My children are 11 and seven, so absolutely not. Besides, they’re not interested in seeing me act. ‘We don’t want to watch you pretending – it’s weird,’ they say. That will probably remain their position, and I’m fine with it.”
Surely they know their mother is a major star? What happens when fans approach? “I’m good at avoiding it. If I’m with my children, that is their time, and I draw a firm line between family time and work. People are very respectful when you’re with your children; they understand.”
I tell her that Love Actually is popular with people in their 20s. She laughs. “People still ask me about it, so I know it has endured. It’s surprising because it didn’t perform especially well on release. It has taken on a life of its own.”
With that, she leaves the car and heads into the theatre, ready for her next challenge.
All episodes of Black Doves series 2 are available from 5 November on Netflix.
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