Exactly how much of a trooper Watts is becomes clear the following morning when the groggy actress submits herself to press interrogation. "It was tough," she says with regard to the evening's excesses, her eyes weary, her skin ashen. "What made it all the more trying was the fact that, once we'd wrapped, I was so switched on that I couldn't fall asleep until four in the morning. Of course, it's a great scene but I'm glad every day's not as gruelling as that."

Doing it tough is nothing new to the Sussex-born Watts. While her film work is now widely celebrated, few A-listers have so many dogs to their name. The combination of no cash and little in the way of industry clout once forced her to lend her talent to dreck such as The Shaft, Strange Planet and Children Of The Corn IV. Indeed, Watts' lengthy B-movie career makes her the perfect choice to play Kong's starving starlet. "I can certainly sympathise with Ann Darrow's situation," Watts says by way of agreement. "Not that I was ever in such dire straits as her - I've never had to skip meals to save money. However, I'm no stranger to the frustrations of endless auditions and constant unemployment. So, the big monkey aside, our plights aren't too dissimilar."

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