Bad wi-fi, “weird sex faces”, and the most embarrassing audition of Keira Knightley’s career
Keira Knightley recalled an awkward online audition with director David Cronenberg for his 2011 film *A Dangerous Method*. Asked to demonstrate the “weird sex faces” needed for her role, her internet connection froze mid-expression, making an already unusual first meeting even more embarrassing.
Knightley was an established star by then, with a major *Pirates of the Caribbean* role and an Academy Award nomination, and she was unsure whether to take the part. She ultimately played psychoanalyst Sabina Spielrein opposite Viggo Mortensen as Sigmund Freud and Michael Fassbender as Carl Jung.
In short
- Knightley’s Skype audition froze mid-expression.
- Cronenberg had asked her to demonstrate unusual facial expressions.
- She went on to play Sabina Spielrein in the 2011 film.