Keira Knightley Took A "Step Back" From Acting To Raise Her Children: "I Want To Bring Them Up"

Keira Knightley is placing family first and stepping back from acting overseas. The 39-year-old British actress, known for roles in Pirates of the Caribbean , Love Actually , and Atonement , has made it clear that her children, Edie (9) and Delilah (5), are her top priorities. In a recent interview with The Sunday Times , Knightley opened up about her decision to raise her kids instead of acting abroad. “I couldn’t go job to job [abroad] now,” she said. “It wouldn’t be in any way fair on them, and I wouldn’t want to.” “I’ve chosen to have children, I want to bring them up, so I’ve had to take a major step back,” she added. Her latest project was Black Doves , which was conveniently filmed in London. Knightley has also become more selective about the projects she takes on. “I’ve wanted it to be more pure entertainment, and maybe that’s because I’ve needed that,” she said. “I keep being offered things about children dying or about mothers dying. Can’t do it.” Reflecting on the time when she fell in love and embraced life to the fullest, she said, “It was a really good time. It couldn’t have continued much beyond then, partly because I got pregnant but also, healthwise, I don’t think it would have been good. But I think periods of hedonism are very important.” In a similar vein, Eva Mendes stepped away from acting in 2014 to focus on her two daughters with Ryan Gosling. Mendes, who hasn't appeared in a film since Lost River , said she would only return to the screen if it was alongside her husband. or Mendes, choosing her family over her career was a decision she described as a "no-brainer." Subscribe today to get unlimited access to all of Evie’s premium content.