Keira Knightley on ‘pressure’ of returning for season two of Black Doves

The 41-year-old actress stars as Helen Webb, a dedicated mother, wife and professional spy who has been passing on her politician husband’s secrets for 10 years to the organisation she works for – the Black Doves.

Knightley has reprised her role for the action-packed second season where her character faces even higher stakes as her husband Wallace prepares to step into 10 Downing Street as the new UK prime minister.

The Oscar-nominated actress discussed the series’ long-awaited return during an interview with the Press Association and said: “The first time round, obviously nobody knew what it was, so you don’t have that pressure.

Keira Knightley has reprised her role as Helen Webb in Black Doves season two (Ian West/PA)

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“There’s no anticipation – it was just, ‘We’ll try and make this thing and if it works, brilliant’.

“And it did – and that was amazing. But now people are like, ‘Oh, we like that’.

“So, there is a little added pressure to it. You want to keep the magic, but you want to move it on and hopefully make it better. So, that’s different.”

Knightley, who also executive-produces the show, continued: “We all felt like they were interesting enough characters and there was a strange enough vibe to it that there was more to look at.

“There was more to that you could mine more out of (the series).

“It felt like we hadn’t finished the first time round.”

The actress also praised Black Doves creator, executive producer and writer Joe Barton as he “never goes for an easy option” as she discussed the show’s complex and multi-dimensional characters.

(left to right) Ben Whishaw, Keira Knightley and Sarah Lancashire star in Black Doves (Ian West/PA)

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“I think Joe is very special,” she said.

“There are no one-dimensional characters in this. You wouldn’t normally have these relationships.

“You wouldn’t normally have characters who are so morally like, ‘who’s a goody, who’s a baddie’. He really goes there.

“He creates very strange people, then puts them in incredibly strange environments and watches what will happen, and I love that.”

Knightley added: “He never goes for an easy option.

“He never gives you what you think you’re going to get. He always subverts things and it’s always unexpected.”