Knightley: 'Ignore my life, enjoy my films'

Updated 14.38 Mon Sep 01 2008

Keira Knightley has complained that people will not appreciate her films fully if they know too much about her private life.

She said: "No actor particularly likes talking about their private life, I think partly it ruins that magic of the films.

"No actor particularly likes talking about their private life, I think partly it ruins that magic of the films" - Keira Knightley

People that go and see it should get completely lost and believe that these people are real and I think it helps not to know anything about the background of the person."

Her new film The Duchess, a lavish melodrama of aristocratic foolishness and betrayal is designed around the colourful life of an 18th century socialite, Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire.

A feminist before the word was invented, Georgiana established a salon devoted to the artists and politicos of her day and even campaigned for Whig party candidates despite not having the vote herself.

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