Keira Knightley is pioneering new territory in her acting career by starring as a singer (and singing her own songs) in her new movie, Begin Again.

Knightley took voice lessons to prepare for the role and also learned a few tricks and chords to make it look like she knew what she was doing for the film’s many music scenes.

“The whole thing was out of my comfort zone. I am not a singer. I didn’t know how to do that,” she said of her most challenging, and least tragic, role to date.

Keira Knightley plays a british singer, Gretta, who comes to America with her musician boyfriend, which is Adam Levine in his debut role, just as he is about to make it big.

When he gets caught up in fame and glory and leaves her by the wayside, Keira Knightley’s character finds her break in a smokey bar when she is discovered by washed-up music executive, Dan, played by the fabulous Mark Ruffalo.

“Essentially, what it is about is people falling down in life and trying to pick themselves back up, whether that is romantically or whatever,” said Keira Knightley of the movie’s premise.

It wasn’t all easy, though. It’s the first time Keira Knightley has had to stretch her vocals on film, but also the first time that improvisation has been a major part of her job.

“A lot of the film was improvised, and I had never done that before. I’d say that those two were major things to be grappling with.”

Those are definitely two major challenges, but Keira Knightley handles them both beautifully! She also enjoys an incredible line-up of co-stars including Catherine Keener, Hailee Steinfeld, CeeLo Green, and Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def).

Congrats to Keira Knightley on her new movie and not dying in it!

Image via YouTube