The production for Keira Knightley's new movie Colette was delayed by a year while she adjusted to motherhood.
In the biographical period drama, the Pirates of the Caribbean stars as French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, who was convinced to write novels under her husband's name. However, following their success, she fights to get the recognition she deserves.
The film has been a hit at Sundance Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival this year, but the British actress admits it would have come out much earlier if she didn't ask for the shoot to be pushed back due to the arrival of her daughter Edie.
"We actually delayed shooting this by a year," she told Britain's OK! magazine. "Originally we were going to do it when she was one, but sleeping has never been a thing she's been that fond of. And she still didn't sleep, but I was more used to it by then!"
Keira, 33, welcomed Edie in 2015 with husband James Righton, and Colette marks her first lead role since becoming a mum, and she made sure Edie came along to the filming location and would visit the set for a short time every day so they could "touch base".
She stars alongside Dominic West, Denise Gough and Eleanor Tomlinson in the film, and admitted The Affair star was just as charming as Colette's husband Willy was.
"In all the writing about him, the charm and the wit hugely comes through," she explained. "And Dominic, my God he's good. He's so charming. He's the only person that I've ever met who I think if he actually killed somebody in front of you, he'd get away with it."
She also praised the original period costumes she got to wear as Colette, adding, "You were standing there in a piece of history. The sweat, the stains that were on it..."
The biopic, directed by Still Alice movie-maker Wash Westmoreland, will have its U.K. debut at the London Film Festival in October, before a cinema release in 2019.
