She told The Guardian: "I just wanted to visit the set. That she was 12 and "didn't know what I was doing" on set.īefore becoming a well-known director, Coppola made a Star Wars cameo as another Queen Amidala handmaiden, Saché, in Episode I. As the character Sabé, Knightley (who's four years younger than Portman) played the handmaiden and decoy to Portman's Queen Amidala in Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Portman
#Star wars episode i the phantom menace natalie portman tv
And with the universe focusing more on TV titles, aside from Taika Waititi's upcoming standalone Star Wars film, there should be no need for Disney to contact actors to reprise side characters from Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace.George Lucas realized Knightley and Portman looked alike before you even knew who Knightley was. For Knightley, the role was so long ago, and so insignificant, that she doesn't seem to care.Ĭlearly, Knightley won't be returning to the Star Wars universe any time soon, though that won't be a shock to anyone, given that Sabe is hardly a central figure in the franchise. This as opposed to someone like Mark Hamill, who is always enthusiastic to share his thoughts on what should have happened to his character, as well as everyone else's, in the Star Wars movies. It's a hilarious, yet slightly cringe-inducing exchange that proves Knightley falls into the Harrison Ford category of actors who've appeared in Star Wars but don't really don't care about their role or their character's supposed place in the universe. I'm sure her life has been long and interesting. Reprising the character I can't even remember the name of? No, there hasn't. Has there been any talking of reprising the role? I hope she lived a long and happy life somewhere on a planet far, far away. I think I was 12 when I did it, and I saw it the year after and I've never seen it again.
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The rest of the exchange only gets worse, with Knightley bursting into laughter at the suggestion of reprising the role.
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The interviewer mentions the fact that Knightley's character, Sabe, could conceivably return given that she survived the events of the prequels, as opposed to Padme, leading the actor to jump in and question whether she played Padme or not.
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Now, in an interview with Coming Soon, Knightley has proven that she cares very little for the Star Wars universe, getting confused over whether she played Padme or not, and needing the interviewer to remind her who she played. Related: Why One Of Padmé's Phantom Menace Handmaidens Got A Razzie Nomination Once she became a big star, fans remembered her in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and the character has become something of a minor icon in the Star Wars universe as a result. Knightley was cast for her physical resemblance to Portman at the time and was convincing enough in the role to even fool some audience members when she was under the makeup. Originally introduced as one of the handmaidens, Sabe also takes on the role of Padme's decoy throughout the movie. Lately however, she has preferred to star in smaller, more intimate dramas to show off her dramatic range.īut one of her early roles was in the biggest franchise of them all, playing Sabe alongside Natalie Portman's Padme Amidala in the first Star Wars prequel. At one point in the mid-2000s, she was considered one of the biggest stars in the world. Knightley rose to fame in the early 2000s after starring in a string of hits, including Bend it Like Beckham, Love Actually, and the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.
Keira Knightley remembers so little about her role in Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace that an interviewer had to tell her the character's name.