Keira Knightley hails from a "stable family background" with her parents – playwright, Sharman MacDonald, and actor, Will Knightley – keeping her grounded. Raised in a terraced house in Teddington, the actress and her older brother, Caleb Knightley, had a "very politically inclined" upbringing and would join their parents on anti-war marches in London.
Keira herself admits she's "made a career of playing posh English people in wars" but neither she nor Caleb grew up with immense wealth. In fact, their father, Will, told his wife that they could only afford to have a second child if she managed to sell another one of his scripts.
© GettyAfter leaving the family home, the siblings chose to move in together, sharing a flat in Hyde Park. Caleb, a composer and sound engineer, is known to keep a low profile, with Keira mindful of mentioning him in the press.
Speaking to The Telegraph in 2011, the Black Doves star was asked if Caleb had considered moving to LA for film work. "He's here [in London], too. I don't think he'd like me talking about him in an interview, though, so I think that'll be enough," she replied.
© GettyKeira may have found fame at a young age, but both Caleb and her parents ensured that she led a normal life.
"I always had friends and family that weren't profiting from it. They had no skin in the game. I had a separate life from the industry, and I've maintained that," she recalled to the LA Times.
"That's been very important. If you don't have that stability, and instead what you've got is a load of people who are making money off you, and they've got a vested interest in keeping you going, even if you need to stop, that's a whole other scenario. I was supported and told that I was allowed to stop at any time."
Unlike his sister, Caleb has lived life out of the public eye, but he's always been supportive of Keira. In 2005, Caleb accompanied his sister to the UK premiere of Pride & Prejudice, and in 2006, joined her at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in LA.
© Getty ImagesA testament to their close bond, when the composer tied the knot with designer Kerry Nixon in 2011, Keira returned the favour, serving as a bridesmaid. Pictured arriving at Pollokshields Burgh Hall in Glasgow, Keira donned a wine-coloured midi dress for the ceremony.
Keira and Caleb's mother Sharman was raised in Scotland, and to honour his heritage, the groom wore a traditional kilt.
