Ten Things You Never Knew About Keira Knightley

She played a ball-kicking babe in Bend It Like Beckham, a priggish lady-turned-salty sea dog in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and one of literature’s most cherished heroines in Pride In Prejudice. With that range, it's no wonder that Keira Knightley is said to earn £10 million a movie. As her latest film Atonement generates an Oscar buzz in the nation’s cinemas, the time is ripe to find out more. Read on for ten fascinating facts about Hollywood's boniest beauty.

1. Keira suffers from dyslexia. At school, she wore special glasses to help her read.

2. Keira's childhood nickname was 'Boo'.

3. Keira was always single-minded about her acting career. She began to pester her parents for an agent at the age of three; they gave in when she was six.

4. Keira made her screen debut in an early episode of Ballykissangel. Hmm. We wonder if she’s still in touch with Stephen Tompkinson?

5. Keira insists she never diets to maintain her slender figure. "I don't think about nutrition - the very thought of a diet makes me want chips and ice cream," she maintains. "And I just hate going to the gym. I cannot stand it."

6. Keira is a lifetime fan of West Ham United. Well, perhaps that Bend It Like Beckham role wasn’t such a stretch, after all.

7. Keira first bared all - in British horror flick The Hole - when she was just 15. "I don't have a problem with my body." she says. "I'm not just going to strip off all my clothing, but if the part calls for it and I don't think there's any way round, I'm absolutely fine."

8. Would Keira ever consider a royal romance? "Prince William definitely isn't my type," she insists. "He's too horsey-looking." Well, that’s told us.

9. Keira's acting career took off so quickly that she was forced to quit school at 16. Aww, the poor love.

10. Keira is realistic about her long-term career prospects. "I know for a fact the work is going to dry up, and people will get bored of me," she says. "That's not bitterness, just the truth."