Keira Knightley has revealed she was told she should be embarrassed about starring in film Bend It Like Beckham when it was first released.
The Gurinder Chadha-directed flick follows two girls (Knightley and Jesminder Bhamra) as they try to pursue careers in football amid family pushback.
It went on to be a huge hit globally and saw a then-18-year-old Knightley catapulted into the big time with roles in Pirates of the Carribean and Love Actually soon to follow.
While Bend It Like Beckham was released in the UK in 2002, it didn’t come out in the US until 2003, making it 20 years this year since its stateside release.
She was reminded of the anniversary during an appearance on The Tonight Show on Wednesday.
Asked by host Jimmy Fallon if she had any idea the film would be so big while she was making it, he – along with the rest of the audience – was shocked by her response.
“No. No no, I mean, I literally remember telling people that I was doing it, and saying, you know, ‘It’s called Bend It Like Beckham,’ and them going, ‘Oh, that’s really embarrassing’.”
“Yeah, yeah no, they were all like, ‘Don’t worry. Nobody will see it, it’s fine.’ But it was the idea of it, because you know women’s soccer was not as big back then,” Knightley – who was on the show to promote her new role in the upcoming film Boston Strangler – explained.
Adding: “The idea of the whole thing was sort of ridiculous and it’s amazing, because it’s still the film, even today, you know, if somebody comes up and talks to me about my work, it’s that one. It’s so loved, it’s amazing.”
