2005 saw King in a variety of film and television roles. She first appeared in the independent black comedy and satire Pretty Persuasion, playing a small role as Kathy Joyce, the step mother of Evan Rachel Wood's character. Afterwards, she gained lead roles in the film adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel Sin City. She had met with director Robert Rodriguez, who was a fan of her work, and at the time King was unaware that Rodriguez wanted her involvement in the film. Eventually, "we started reading [the Sin City graphic novel], and it was really fun". King portrayed Goldie and Wendy, the twin prostitutes in charge of the girls of Old Town, in the segment The Hard Goodbye opposite Mickey Rourke. However, because the twins never appeared in the same frame together, special effects were not needed to composite two images of King. Sin City featured a large ensemble cast of well known actors which included Rosario Dawson and Jessica Alba, whom King had "kinda grew up together" with