Keira Knightley's Name Was Born From Spelling Typo on Birth Certificate

Keira Knightley strikes a pose on the cover of Elle UK magazine’s March 2015 issue, out on newsstands on Thursday, January 29!

Here’s what the 29-year-old English actress had to share with the mag:

On the origins of her name: “I was meant to be named ‘Kiera’, after a Russian ice skater who was on the TV one day. My dad fancied her and nicked her name for me. But it was my mum who went to register my birth, and she accidentally spelled ‘ei’ instead of ‘ie’ because my mum’s crap at spelling. Apparently, when she came back he said: ‘WHAT THE F–K? You’ve spelt her name wrong!’ What were they going to do, though? Once it’s on the piece of paper, it’s on the piece of paper. And that’s me. A spelling error.”

On the power of red lipstick: “Lipstick is an armour to the world. My mum had a thing when we were growing up, if she’d had a sh*t day or if something had gone wrong, she’d put her red lipstick on. I still abide by that. If you’re doing something hard, a really vibrant colour is a good thing. Lips are the easiest thing to put colour on. The nose doesn’t work so well – it’s a tricky look. Lips, however: quite good.”

On refusing to conform: “Break the rules. I’ve always hated the idea that you should be wearing this or that, because it makes me feel like I’m getting everything wrong. I hated it at school, and I don’t want it as an adult. If you want to wear a f–king flowerpot on your head and that makes you happy, then wear a f–king flowerpot on your head.”

For more on Keira, visit Elleuk.com!