Actor Keira Knightley recently opened up about living with dyslexia and how she’s found a creative way to work around it. During her appearance on The Graham Norton Show, the Pirates of the Caribbean star revealed that she uses art as a learning tool, even to help her memorise scripts. The 40-year-old actor shared that all the drawings in her new children’s book, I Love You Just the Same, were done by her.
Knightley added that drawing isn’t just a relaxing hobby, but also a big part of how she learns and stays focused on her roles. “I draw a lot anyway. I am dyslexic, so I find learning lines quite difficult,” Knightley said on the show.
Drawing to remember lines
According to the Mayo Clinic, dyslexia is a common learning disorder that affects how the brain processes written and spoken language, often making reading, spelling, and memorising more challenging. To find her way out, Knightley said she listens to recordings of her lines on repeat while sketching detailed drawings which is an effective method that helps her stay focused and retain her scripts better.
“When I’m listening to them, I’m drawing the whole time,” she explained. “I think they have to be quite detailed, otherwise the lines don’t go in my head. Normally, and I don’t know why, but I’m drawing pictures of old men with wrinkles.”
Host Graham Norton jokingly said, “Hello,” to which Knightley replied, “I’ll do one of you.” Norton teased back, “Sounds like you’ve done it already.”
Referring to her latest project, she added, “This was the first time I had to draw something other than old men with wrinkles, and I was doing it while filming Black Doves season one.”
Diagnosed at age six
Knightley has spoken openly about being diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of six. In a previous episode of the Ruthie’s Table 4 podcast, she recalled how acting became her motivation to improve in school.
“The school said, ‘She can’t read at all and we need a carrot to dangle in front of her. Do you know what she wants?’ My parents said, ‘She wants an agent,’” Knightley shared. “It did go up though! It was a carrot,” she said.
Passing on creativity
The actor also revealed that one of her daughters, whom she shares with husband James Righton, is dyslexic too. Knightley and Righton are parents to two daughters, Edie, 10, and Delilah, 6.
“We have a dyslexic kid,” Knightley shared. “Her memory is absolutely amazing.” Righton added, “She’ll memorise the whole book, it’s incredible.”
Through her creativity and determination, Knightley proves that dyslexia doesn’t have to be a limitation.
