Pride and Prejudice Star Keira Knightley didn’t have high hopes for her ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ movie, she has revealed.
Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ in support of his upcoming serial killer film ‘Boston Strangler’, Knightley recalled his early thoughts on the football film.
“I literally remember telling people I was doing it and it was called ‘Bend It Like Beckham,’ and they were like, ‘Oh, that’s really embarrassing,'” Knightley said.
“And they were all like, ‘Don’t worry. Nobody will see it. It’s okay.'”
Knightley explained that “Bend It Like Beckham” was made at a time when women’s football was not huge and had no viewership, which made her wonder about its potential success.
“That was the idea because, you know, women’s football wasn’t as big back then,” she said. “And so the idea of the whole thing was kind of ridiculous.”
However, when the film was released, Knightley was surprised by the warm reception it received.
“It’s amazing because it’s still the movie even today, you know, if anyone comes to tell me about my work, that’s the one,” Knightley said. “It’s so loved. It’s incredible.”
Knightley plays 1960s journalist Loretta McLaughlin in her upcoming film Boston Strangler. With her colleague Jean Cole (Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age), Loretta pursues the story of a serial killer, Boston Strangler, who killed 13 people.
Boston Strangler premieres March 17 on Hulu