Keira Knightley appeared in several TV movies in the mid to late 1990s—including ITV1's The Bill—before being cast as Sabé, Padmé Amidala's decoy, in the 1999 science fiction blockbuster Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Keira Knightley was cast in the role due to her close resemblance to Natalie Portman, who played Padmé; the 2 actresses' mothers had difficulty telling their daughters apart when the girls were in full makeup.
Keira Knightley's 1st starring role followed in 2001, when Keira played the daughter of Robin Hood in the made-for-television Walt Disney Productions feature, Princess of Thieves. During this time, Keira also appeared in The Hole, a thriller that received a direct-to-video release in the U.S.
Keira appeared in a miniseries adaptation of Doctor Zhivago that first aired in 2002 to mixed reviews but high ratings.