Keira Knightley's Wigs: Why The Actress Hid Her Natural Hair For Years

There are many celebrities who are open and honest about wearing wigs, but Keira Knightley doesn't instantly spring to mind. Though she's rocked long locks, chic bobs, and everything in between, she's mainly stayed loyal to her gorgeous, signature brunette shade, which means her wig-wearing has largely flown under the radar.

However, the "Bend It Like Beckham" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor told InStyle U.K. in 2016 that, just like Nicole Kidman, she'd been wearing wigs to protect her natural locks. "I have dyed my hair virtually every colour imaginable for different films. It got so bad that my hair literally began to fall out of my head!" she said of why she stopped showing her natural hair. "So for the past five years I've used wigs, which is the greatest thing that's ever happened to my hair," she added. The British movie star also explained that her texture has changed a lot since becoming a mom in 2015. "I have naturally crazy, curly hair, and since I've had the baby it's become 10 times thicker. So now I've been finding quite a lot of dreadlocks," she said.

However, Knightley later clarified to The Cut she'd only hidden her natural hair while working. "I wear wigs for films. Which is a great thing and has saved my hair, because when you are on a film set and they are doing your hair every day and dying it a million different colors, it does tend to fall out," she explained.

In the five years before Keira Knightley spoke candidly about wearing wigs, she appeared in several movies seemingly wearing hairpieces. In 2012, she starred in "Anna Karenina" with brunette locks in a style that reminded us of some of the best updos from curly-haired celebs. Her voluminous tresses were likely not her own, as the repeated, intricate styling to get the look just right could have caused severe damage. She likely also had at least one hairpiece for 2014's "The Imitation Game," as her character had slightly lighter, more caramel locks than the dark brown shade the actor sported on red carpets around the time of filming, with bouncy, curled ends.

Knightley had been wearing wigs at work long before then, though (albeit more obvious ones). In the 2008 period piece "The Duchess," the actor sported huge hairpieces she admitted weren't at all comfortable. "The wigs were the problem. They were big like birdcages. The hats were sewn onto the tops of them. And the whole thing was glued to my head, pinned in," she told USA Today (via Express). "I had [a] neck ache. I literally couldn't hold the thing up. So they built me a stand so I could rest the whole lot on," she added. Ouch. Thankfully, the wigs she's worn since then look a lot lighter and far more natural.