Keira Knightley could become the youngest ever winner of the best actress Oscar.
The 20-year-old is nominated for her performance as Elizabeth Bennet in the big screen adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice.
The current youngest winner of the award is Marlee Matlin, who was 21 when she scooped the prize for Children Of A Lesser God in 1986.
Knightley has had her sights firmly set on fame since she was a toddler.
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Aged three, she told her parents she wanted an agent.
She made her TV debut in the drama A Village Affair when she was eight.
Knightley’s breakthrough role came in 2002, when she was cast as a football-loving teen in Bend It Like Beckham.
She went on to star in the TV mini-series Dr Zhivago and Love Actually before hitting the Hollywood big time in The Pirates Of The Caribbean films opposite Johnny Depp.
Her role as Elizabeth Bennet has already earned her a Golden Globe nomination, although she has been snubbed by this year’s Bafta voters.
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She admitted to being daunted by the role when it was first offered to her.
“I was terrified of taking on such a well-known character - to the point where I didn’t want to do it. But my agent persuaded me and I’m very glad she did.
“It was a very special experience to make the film and I’m very happy everyone liked it as much as they did,” she said.
PA