Keira Knightley says director John Maybury told her during a 2004 audition that he did not think she could act and did not want her in his film, based on her earlier roles. Despite this criticism, she secured the part in The Jacket and later earned major acclaim, including Oscar nominations for Pride & Prejudice and The Imitation Game.

The article argues that Knightley’s early fame in commercially successful films such as Bend It Like Beckham, Pirates of the Caribbean and Love Actually led some industry figures to underestimate her dramatic ability. It notes that The Jacket was not widely regarded as a strong film, while also placing Maybury’s judgement in the context of Knightley’s subsequent award recognition and varied career.