KEIRA KNIGHTLEY - KNIGHTLEY: I DID PIRATES WITHOUT A SCRIPT

Actress Keira Knightley has said that she played scenes in the Pirates of the Caribbean films without a script.

In an interview appearing in the October issue of Empire Magazine, the star, who was first noticed in Bend It Like Beckham, also speaks about her latest role in Atonement as well as future projects which see her take on more complex characters.

While Knightley said that she enjoyed playing the role of Elizabeth Swann in the action-packed tales of plunder on the high seas, she says she'd rather not repeat her experiences in the Pirates films.

“I find it very difficult to work without a script, which is what that was," she told the magazine.

"I loved doing the stunts. But it’s really difficult working without a script and I don’t feel like I could do that process again."

The 22-year-old added that the lack of script meant that she originally played a scene with martial arts star Chow Yun Fat slightly differently.

"That scene with Chow Yun-Fat where he dies, I didn’t know what the scene was about. I thought he had kidnapped me and that I was completely terrified of him.

"After four set-ups the director was like, 'Why are you playing it like that?' And I was like, 'Well, he’s kidnapped me and I don’t want to be here. I’m terrified.' And he was like, 'What? You haven’t been kidnapped!'"

Knightley, who opened the 64th Venice Film Festival with the premiere of her latest film, also spoke about how rewarding the portrayal of Cecilia Tallis had proved to be.

"She is nothing like I’ve played before — she is brittle and she is difficult…she is like a pressure cooker. It’s like that feeling you get in the summer when there needs to be a thunderstorm. I just responded to her," Knightley said in regard to her latest role.

In the interview, the star also speaks about how she found it difficult to get challenging roles at the start of her career, adding that Atonement director Joe Wright was one of the first people to have faith in her acting ability.

Speaking about Wright, who she also worked with on Pride and Prejudice, Knightley said: "He made me feel alright about myself and it’s amazing what that can do."

Wright adds that he and Keira work very well together and can sometimes "read each other's minds" on set.

"I know when she’s not happy with the take, and she knows when I’m not happy. We kind of read each other’s minds," he explained.

Atonement, which is based on Ian McEwan's novel of a love triangle in the years before the second world war, is being seen as one of the favourites for the prestigious best film award at the Venice Film Festival.