There was a point in the early 2000s when Keira Knightley was one of the most famous actresses on the planet, mostly thanks to portraying Elizabeth Swann in Disney’s megahit Pirates of the Caribbean but also due to roles in Star Wars, Love Actually, Bend it like Beckham and more. To me, she’s pretty perfect, but to some other fans she’s …. apparently Natalie Portman?
While promoting her new movie The Woman in Cabin 10, Keira Knightley revealed that she gets approached by fans all the time. The only problem? They aren’t always her fans. She told HitsRadioUK she’s so used to this happening now that when fans send Portman a compliment, she just openly accepts it, saying:
Most people just think I’m Natalie Portman. ‘I think she’s great,’ and they thank me for that! And I obviously say, ‘You’re welcome.’
’m sure there are plenty of people who know who Portman is, but fans of George Lucas’ Star Wars probably completely understand the mixup. In fact, Natalie Portman definitely understands the mix-up, as she’s admitted people think she’s Keira Knightley all the time, too.
Back in 1999, when the then-latest Star Wars movie The Phantom Menace came out, Knightley famously was dressed up as Queen Amidala in the movie, while Portman played the real Amidala dressed as a handmaiden. People still mix the two up in the movie, and Knightley herself is occasionally confused about her Star Wars gig, so I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise this happens elsewhere, too. However, if you saw them together in real life, you’d probably never make the mistake, as Keira grew from her 12-year-old self into a woman who is reportedly 5’7” while Natalie Portman capped at around “5’3” (and her shortness is legendary in the Marvel Universe).
Keira Knightley Can Always Tell When A ‘Real’ Fan Knows Who She Is
Of course, some of her best fans are still kids, in particular athletic kids, who are still watching her and inspired by her work in Bend if like Beckham. When asked what she most gets recognized for, she said in the same interview:
I think Bend it Like Beckham, because it’s girls playing football. An yeah, actually that’s been lovely. [If a girl comes up] in full football, I’m like, ‘I know which one that one is.’ So, little girls, I think, actually, who are playing football, that’s the one they still come up and say [to me], and that’s amazing.
So, the fans who know exactly who she is probably make up for any blips from those Star Wars fans who still mix them both up more than 25 years later.
She’s in good company, as people think Mark Wahlberg is Matt Damon a fair amount. (Which, honestly what? At least Matt Damon knows Jesse Plemons is his look-alike.) And the legendary mix-up of Dylan McDermott and Dermot Mulroney has existed long enough SNL has mocked it. More recently, Glen Powell and This is Us’ Justin Hartley have been frequently mistaken for one another. So this sort of thing happens more than you might think.