Keira Knightley: Austen helped my dyslexia

Keira Knightley says reading Sense and Sensibility helped her deal with dyslexia.

The British actress was diagnosed with the learning disability when she was six. Keira has always been a “huge fan” of Emma Thompson and has revealed that reading her screenplay for the adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel was a great inspiration.

“My mum who worked with her [Thompson] on Sense and Sensibility got me a copy of the screenplay Emma had written,” Keira told the March edition of GQ magazine. “And I was – am – dyslexic and the way she got me over it was to say, ‘If Emma Thompson couldn’t read, she’d make sure she'd get over it, so you have to start reading, because that’s what Emma Thompson would do.’”

Keira found that imagining how Emma would deal with being in her shoes was a huge help.

The 26-year-old later went on to star in another big screen adaptation of an Austen book.

Keira impressed with her performance as Elizabeth Bennet in the 2005 movie Pride & Prejudice.

However, she has revealed that she was often reduced to tears after reading scathing reviews about her acting skills.