Keira Knightley Praised As ‘Utterly Spectacular’ As Director John Carney Apologizes

John Carney, who worked with Keira Knightley on 2013’s Begin Again, has recently criticized the actress for being too pretentious and not possessing the depth required for serious film actresses. In being asked what he would do differently, Carney said that he would not work with supermodels again, referring to Ms. Knightley, and added that the actress doesn’t emote well for the camera. Fortunately for Keira, John Carney is in the minority, where his opinion of her acting talents are concerned, and the news story reporting Carney’s comments was followed up by many filmmakers praising Keira for her work ethic and for her talent as an actress.

Hollywood Filmmakers Step Up To Defend Begin Again Star Keira Knightley And Praise Her As An Acting Talent

Hoping to distance themselves from John Carney’s remarks and reinforce their own high regard for Keira Knightley’s acting abilities, directors Mark Romanek (Never Let Me Go), Lynn Shelton (Laggies), and Lorene Scafaria (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World) each took to social media to praise Ms. Knightley.

“My experience with #keiraknightley was utterly spectacular on every level. I have no clue what this guy is talking about,” tweeted Mark Romanek.

The Never Let Me Go director added that Carney’s criticism over Keira bringing an “entourage” on set during filming was not an issue for him. Romanek says the closest thing to an entourage was Knightley’s mother visiting the set on one occasion.

“I agree with Mark. Keira was a joy to work w/. Present & easy & really, really good at her job. Just lovely,” added Lorene Scafaria.

Not to be excluded, the Laggies director also added her thoughts on the experience of working with Ms. Knightley.

“Working with #KeiraKnightley was magnificent, top to bottom. She is the real deal.#Knightleylove”

At least two actors have also come to Keira’s defense. Zach Braff and Melanie Lynskey have sided with Ms. Knightley. Although Ms. Lynskey admits to not ever having worked with either Knightley or Carney, she points out that an actress can’t possibly bare her soul, when she doesn’t feel safe with the project’s director. Braff also criticized Carney for publicly humiliating Ms. Knightley.

Begin Again Director John Carney Apologizes To Keira Knightley

Carney has since issued a public apology to Ms. Knightley, but it’s difficult to know just how much of his retraction should be taken with a grain of salt, considering how closely it follows the praises of Keira’s work offered by so many other filmmaking professionals. In the end, it’s up to Keira Knightley herself to determine just how sincere the apology offered by John Carney is, but one has to wonder why he might have been so critical, if that wasn’t how he really felt.

Carney tweeted a statement in regards to his criticism of the Begin Again actress, saying that he was ashamed for his condemnation of Keira and assuring fans and followers that he had emailed a private and sincere apology to the actress.

“In trying to pick holes in my own work, I ended up blaming someone else,” Carney wrote. “That’s not only bad directing, that’s shoddy behavior that I am not in any way proud of. It’s arrogant and disrespectful.”

Recognizing that explaining his motivation for picking apart Keira Knightley so publicly wouldn’t be enough to satisfy either the actress or her fans, John continued, granting Ms. Knightley the praise which he might have offered in the first place.

“Keira was nothing but professional and dedicated during that film and she contributed hugely to its success,” tweeted the Begin Again director. “I wanted to publicly, and unreservedly apologize to her fans and friends and anyone else who I have offended. It’s not something that I could ever justify, and will never repeat.”

[Image by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for FIJI Water]