You’ve probably seen the memes. You’ve definitely seen the side-by-side photos of two girls in heavy white face paint and elaborate Naboo headgear. One of them is Natalie Portman, an established child star at the time. The other? A then-unknown twelve-year-old girl from London named Keira Knightley.
Most people don't realize it, but the Keira Knightley Star Wars role wasn't just a background cameo. She was the lynchpin of the entire plot of The Phantom Menace. Without her, the decoy twist doesn't work. If she doesn't look exactly like Portman, the Trade Federation doesn't get fooled, and the Queen of Naboo probably ends up in a prison camp.
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It’s honestly kind of wild to look back at now. Before Pirates of the Caribbean made her a household name, Knightley was essentially a high-end body double. She spent her days on set sitting in massive chairs, wearing costumes that weighed more than she did, and—by her own admission—occasionally falling asleep because the days were so long and the work was, well, a bit boring for a pre-teen.
The Sabé Secret: Who Did She Actually Play?
In the credits, her name is Sabé. But for about 70% of the movie, the audience is led to believe she is Queen Amidala. It’s a classic shell game. Natalie Portman plays the "handmaiden" Padmé, while Keira Knightley plays the "Queen."
George Lucas needed someone who could mimic Portman's movements and look identical under the "Scar of Remembrance" makeup. He found that in Knightley. The resemblance was so uncanny that even their mothers, who were on set during filming, reportedly had trouble telling which girl was which once the costumes were on.
Why the confusion persists
- Voice Dubbing: To make the illusion seamless, Natalie Portman’s voice was actually dubbed over Knightley’s lines. If you think the Queen sounds like Portman even when Knightley is on screen, you’re right.
- Heavy Makeup: The Naboo royal look involves white lead-style face paint and ornate headdresses that obscure the jawline and ears.
- The Switch: The movie never explicitly points out the moment they swap places for the casual viewer. You have to really be looking for it.
Basically, if you didn’t know it was her, you weren’t supposed to. That was the whole point of the character. Sabé was the "Shadow," the human shield.
What Keira Knightley Remembers (Which Isn't Much)
If you ask Keira about the Keira Knightley Star Wars role today, she’ll probably laugh. In a 2020 interview with Coming Soon, she famously forgot who she even played. When the interviewer mentioned that her character lived while Padmé died, Knightley was genuinely confused. "Wait a minute, who did I play? Was I not Padmé?" she asked.
It makes sense. She was 12. At that age, you aren't thinking about cinematic legacies or the "Star Wars" canon. You're thinking about how heavy your hat is. She has frequently mentioned that the ornate headdresses gave her massive headaches.
She also spent a lot of time in the background. In the large throne room scenes or the Senate scenes, if the Queen is standing still and not talking, there’s a high chance it’s Knightley. She once told GamesRadar that she remembered being in the background for so long that she actually fell asleep while sitting upright in a chair.
How the Role Impacted Her Career
Did being in Star Wars make her a star? Not really.
Honestly, most people didn't even know she was in it until she got famous for Bend It Like Beckham three years later. The Phantom Menace was a paycheck and a foot in the door, but it wasn't her "big break" in the traditional sense. In fact, for a few years, she was often dismissed as "that girl who looks like Natalie Portman."
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It wasn't until the early 2000s that she carved out her own identity. While Portman stayed in the blockbuster world with the rest of the prequels, Knightley veered into period dramas and swashbuckling adventures.
The "Twin" Connection
The industry took notice of the resemblance, though. Casting directors love a "type." If Portman wasn't available for a role, Knightley’s name would come up. This eventually led to a bit of a running joke in Hollywood, but both actresses have since proved they have completely different "energies" on screen. Knightley has that sharp, British wit and a certain ruggedness, while Portman often carries a more ethereal, polished intensity.
Sabé’s Life Beyond the Movies
While Keira Knightley moved on to Oscars and Chanel ads, the character of Sabé actually became a massive deal in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. If you only watch the movies, you think she just disappeared.
In the comics and novels (specifically the Queen’s Peril trilogy by E.K. Johnston), Sabé is a badass. She goes on secret missions to Tatooine to try and free Anakin’s mother, Shmi. She eventually joins the rebellion. She even crosses paths with Darth Vader later in life, and the interaction is haunting because she looks exactly like the woman he loved and lost.
It’s a bit of a missed opportunity that we never got to see Knightley return to the role, but considering she can barely remember the character's name, a Disney+ spin-off seems unlikely.
Spotting Keira: A Quick Guide
If you’re rewatching Episode I tonight, keep these moments in mind to find the Keira Knightley Star Wars role hiding in plain sight:
- The Escape from Naboo: When the Queen is being escorted to the ship by the droids, look at the one in the big dress. That’s Keira. The one in the orange handmaiden outfit behind her? That’s Natalie.
- The Arrival on Coruscant: When they meet Chancellor Valorum on the landing platform, Keira is the one receiving the greeting.
- The Gungan Negotiation: This is the big "reveal" scene. Sabé (Keira) is the one standing in the front in the white and purple outfit. Padmé (Natalie) steps forward from the group of handmaidens to reveal her true identity to Boss Nass.
It is a bizarre piece of film history. One of the most famous actresses in the world started her career as a literal shadow of another.
To get the most out of this trivia, go back and watch the scenes where the Queen is talking to the handmaidens. Knowing that the girl in the makeup is the "fake" Queen and the girl in the servant robes is the "real" one changes the dynamic of every look they share. It's a subtle performance of status-swapping that's actually pretty impressive for two kids under the age of sixteen.
If you're looking to dive deeper into this specific era of film history, check out the "Beginning" documentary on the Phantom Menace DVD. You can catch glimpses of a young, slightly bored Keira Knightley wandering around the massive leaves of the Naboo forest sets, probably wondering when she can finally take that heavy headdress off.