who played the main role in the movie anna karenina?, In the 2012 film “Anna Karenina”, the main role of Anna Karenina was played by actress Keira Knightley. Based on the famous novel by Leo Tolstoy, the film, directed by Joe Wright, tells the story of Anna Karenina, a married woman who has an extramarital affair and must deal with the consequences in 19th century Tsarist Russia. In addition to Keira Knightley, the film also featured other talented actors, including Jude Law and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.