Born in Canada, Wray moved to Hollywood at age 12 and was quickly cast in movies. A popular actress in the silent era, she became the first “Scream Queen” in an early sound film: King Kong (1933).
To psych herself up for the intense screaming the director required, “I made myself believe that the nearest possible hope of rescue was at least a mile away,” she once said. Offered a bit part in the 1976 remake, Wray turned it down: “The film I made was so extraordinary, so full of imagination and special effects, that it will never be equaled.” Wray was in about 100 films, but is known best for her role as Kong’s original love interest. She died at home in Manhattan at age 96.