Which actress played Ann Darrow in Peter Jackson’s 2005 King Kong?

Naomi Watts played Ann Darrow in Peter Jackson’s 2005 King Kong.

Ann Darrow is an aspiring actress who joins filmmaker Carl Denham’s expedition to Skull Island. There she encounters Kong, the giant ape, and becomes central to the film’s emotional story. Watts performed opposite the digitally created Kong and carried much of the film’s dramatic arc.

The 2005 film reworks the 1933 King Kong story while expanding the expedition, character relationships, and action sequences. Jack Black played Carl Denham, and Adrien Brody played screenwriter Jack Driscoll.

Ann Darrow was originally played by Fay Wray in the 1933 film. This difference in casting is useful when separating Jackson’s version from the earlier classic and its later adaptations.