The musical was first staged in 1951 with the hitherto unknown Yul Brynner as the King Rama IV of Thailand and Gertrude Lawrence as Anna. It was filmed in 1956 with Brynner playing opposite Deborah Kerr. Brynner won an Oscar for his portrayal.
A television series, Anna and the King, was created in 1972 giving credit to Margaret Landon for the creation.
In 1946, Rex Harrison and Irene Dunne starred in the film, Anna and the King of Siam and in 1999, Fox Corporation released a non-musical remake of the motion picture, named Anna and the King. This version starred Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat.
Also in 1999, an animated version of The King and I was released by Warner Brothers.