Keira Knightley Stopped Doing Films Set In Modern Day Because Female Characters 'Nearly Always Get Raped'

Keira Knightley has all but turned her back on acting in films set in the modern day, stating she’s fed up of their depiction of rape.

The British actress has said she prefers starring in period pieces, suggesting female characters in films set in the present day “nearly always get raped”.

Speaking to Variety, Keira explained: “With the rise of Netflix and Amazon we’re seeing some strong female characters and female stories on streaming services. I don’t know about films as much.

“I don’t really do films set in the modern day because the female characters nearly always get raped. I always find something distasteful in the way women are portrayed, whereas I’ve always found very inspiring characters offered to me in historical pieces.”

However, she did note that there had been “some improvement” in recent years, adding: “I’m suddenly being sent scripts with present-day women who aren’t raped in the first five pages and aren’t simply there to be the loving girlfriend or wife.”

Keira also shared her thoughts on sexual harassment in Hollywood, claiming she felt “fortunate” that she’d never experienced it while on set, and was asked specifically about Harvey Weinstein, who she’s worked with in the past.

She said: “My experience with Harvey Weinstein was always very professional. He was very good on the films we made.

“I was aware of his reputation of being a bully. He was famous for phoning people in the middle of the night and screaming at them. He didn’t do that to me, and he certainly never asked me for massages or anything like that. I wasn’t aware of any allegations or rape or sexual assault against him.”

Keira is currently promoting ‘Colette’, which tells the story of the titular French novelist, and has three more films coming out in 2018, including Disney’s interpretation ‘The Nutcracker’, in which she plays the Sugar-Plum Fairy.

Read Keira’s full interview on Variety here.