Keira Knightley - Keira Knightley chose Jack Ryan due to thriller love

Keira Knightley chose Jack Ryan due to thriller love

Keira Knightley wanted to star in 'Jack Ryan' because she's ''always loved thrillers''.

The 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actress is a massive fan of the genre and was desperate to play the titular character's wife Cathy in the big screen adaptation of Tom Clancy's book series, a role she beat off competition from Evangeline Lilly, Felicity Jones, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel to land.

She told Collider.com: ''I've always loved thrillers. Thrillers are incredibly difficult to do which is why there's so few of them made now, and [the 'Jack Ryan' films] have always been really good thrillers, so I sort of fancied that.''

Since starring in 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End' - the third film in the franchise - in 2007, the 27-year-old actress hasn't had any hugely action packed roles and admitted that she's in the mood for a ''Hollywood sort of run-around with explosions'' project.

Keira was even more excited to star in the movie alongside Kenneth Branagh, who is also helming the motion picture.

She added: ''I'm working with Kenneth Branagh who has been a hero of mine since I was about six or seven.

''Getting to be directed by him and act with him is something that I just thought, 'I want to do that.' ''

The film - which sees 'Star Trek' actor Chris Pine take on the lead role - will follow the titular character as he discovers a Russian plot to destroy the US economy with a terrorist attack.

'Jack Ryan' will be released in the UK on December 26, 2013.