Keira: 'Pirates' Success Surprised Me

Keira Knightley went from a relative unknown to a major star, thanks to the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie.

A sequel, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," hits theaters Friday.

She admitted to People magazine editor at large and The Early Show entertainment contributor Jess Cagle she was as surprised as anyone at the success of the film that changed her life.

"When we were talking about it," she told Cagle, "a pirate film hadn't worked for 50 years. I mean, they'd been famous for completely flopping. And not only is it a pirate film, but it's based on a Disney ride.

"And you kind of went, 'There's no way this can work.' So, it was amazing. I still remember sitting there, I was sitting next to Orlando Bloom (who plays Will Turner) the first time I saw it. And we'd all had the pep talk, 'Could be bad, but we'll just come out with a united front. It's going to be fine. We'll just put a brave face on it. ' "

"I remember, kind of halfway through, kind of poking him, going, 'I think it's alright.' And he's going, 'I'm really enjoying it. I think everyone's really enjoying it! It's good!'

"Yeah, it was a complete surprise. Totally."

So why did she sign on for it in the first place then?

"I didn't have any other offers!" Knightley laughed.

She says working with Johnny Depp, who portrayed and portrays Capt. Jack Sparrow, is a true challenge in that he's so funny, he always has everyone on the verge of cracking up.

"You kind of need to get to about take 10 before you stop laughing," she said.

Knightley spends much of the "Pirates" sequel in men's clothing, but off-screen, has become one of Hollywood's most stylish actresses, one Cagle calls "a red carpet highlight," whether she's wearing Chanel at the sequel's premiere or Vera Wang at this year's Oscars.

"I think it's just quite funny," she conceded. "I find it all very funny. I mean, I find it ridiculous. (You) sort of look at yourself and go, 'What are you doing?' It's hilarious. … You feel like a little bit of a mannequin, and people come over, and (you're in) somebody else's dress, and somebody else's jewelry, and somebody else is doing your hair and makeup. And, so, I feel completely unlike me, which is rather nice."Earlier this year, Knightly was Oscar-nominated for "Pride & Prejudice." It was on that set she met actor Rupert Friend, whom she has reportedly been dating.

But Knightley told Cagle she decided early on never to let the spotlight shine on her private life: "I think I did that from the very first interview I did when I was 15, you know. I mean, I just, I think there is obviously a lot of speculation, which I'd say probably 98 percent is completely untrue. And that's the way I like it.

"I think you've got to be very clear what you're comfortable with and what you're not. … I don't think you understand how wonderful privacy is until people are really trying to take it away. And it's a very, very wonderful thing to have, stuff that is only for you and your family. And it is only for me and my family. And I am very protective of it. So, yeah. I mean, that's just the way I like to keep it."

Knightley says she's taking a temporary break from the movie business after the next "Pirates" sequel.

"The last five years have molded into one. ... I can't tell you what was last year and what was the year before," she said. "It's just been one big long film set, which is wonderful. And it's like, I love my job. I really love what I do. But I'm quite frightened, if you continue at that kind of rate, you'll start to hate what you love. And I don't want that to happen. … So I think I need to step back and, you know, it's like doing sabbatical, and sort of go away and learn a bit more and come back and, hopefully, I'll have moved on to the next step, whatever that is."

This week, says Cagle, Knightley showed up at the London premier of "Dead Man's Chest" in another great gown. It was by Gucci. There's been a lot of talk that she's looking very thin and, she says, although there is a history of anorexia in her family, she does not have an eating disorder.

As for "Dead Man's Chest," Cagle calls it "really fun, action-packed, with huge action set pieces. It's much more extravagant than the first one."