King first gained attention for starring in the television sitcom 227 (1985–1990). Her subsequent roles included the film Friday (1995), the animated series The Boondocks (2005–2014), and the crime television series Southland (2009–2013). She received four Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles in the ABC anthology series American Crime (2015–2017), the Netflix miniseries Seven Seconds, and the HBO limited series Watchmen (2019). Her other television roles include the drama series The Leftovers (2015–2017) and the sitcom The Big Bang Theory (2013–2019).
Regina Rene King was born on January 15, 1971,[3] in Los Angeles County, California,[4] and grew up in View Park–Windsor Hills. Her ancestors were part of the triangle slave trade; they originated in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Senegal. Her parents are both from the Southern United States.[5] She is the elder daughter of Gloria Jean (née Cain), a special education teacher, and Thomas Henry King Jr., an electrician.[4][6] King's younger sister Reina co-starred with her in the 2024 Netflix film Shirley.[7] Their parents divorced in 1979.[8]
King began her acting career in 1985, playing the role of Brenda Jenkins on the television series 227,[11] a role she played until the show ended in 1990. She went on to appear in the John Singleton films Boyz n the Hood, Poetic Justice, and Higher Learning.[12] In 1995, she was featured in the hit comedy film Friday.[12] The next year, she starred in the Martin Lawrence dark comedy-romance A Thin Line Between Love and Hate as Mia,[13] and she gained fame starring in blockbuster romantic comedy film Jerry Maguire as Marcee Tidwell.[12][14]
From 2015 to 2017, King began to pursue work as a director and writer,[39] initially directing six episodes of the drama series Being Mary Jane.[40] In 2016, she directed two episodes of Scandal, and single episodes of The Catch, Animal Kingdom, This Is Us and Shameless.[41][42]
2018–present: Awards success and directorial debut
In 2018, King played the mother of a murdered black teenager in the Netflix original series Seven Seconds, winning her third Primetime Emmy Award.[43] Her performance in the 2018 film If Beale Street Could Talk, directed by Barry Jenkins, garnered critical acclaim and earned her the Golden Globe Award and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.[44][45] King additionally won the Critics' Choice, Los Angeles Film Critics, New York Film Critics, National Society of Film Critics, and numerous other critic awards for Supporting Actress, making her the most awarded actor of 2018 in film.[46] In regards to King's performance, Richard Roeper for the Chicago Sun-Times wrote: "Regina King is blazingly good in a nomination-worthy performance as Tish's mother. Even when there's fire in her eyes as she defends her daughter, you can see her primary motivating force is love. The love she has for her child, and for the child of her child."[47] In his review for The Observer, Mark Kermode wrote: "As for Regina King, her brilliantly modulated performance is a masterclass in physical understatement. One moment stands out [...] 'Mamma... ,' says Tish, tentatively, and even before she turns to face us, an almost imperceptible movement of King's neck and shoulders tells us that Sharon knows exactly what her daughter is about to say."[48]
King next produced Netflix's Shirley, a biopic about the first black congresswoman Shirley Chisholm during her historic presidential campaign, and starred as the title character. It was written and directed by John Ridley, with whom she previously worked on American Crime.[57][58] In May 2021, it was announced that King would direct race-themed monster movie Bitter Root for Legendary Entertainment.[59] She will serve as an executive producer and direct the David E. Kelley–written television series A Man in Full for Netflix, based on the Tom Wolfe novel of the same name.[60]
Personal life
King was married to Ian Alexander Sr. from 1997 to 2007. They had one son, Ian Alexander Jr., who was born in 1996 and later became a disc jockey and recording artist.[61] Ian Jr. died by suicide on January 21, 2022, at age 26.[62][63]
Filmography
Film
Television
As director
As music video director
References
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External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Regina King.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Regina King.
Regina King at IMDb
King, Regina. "The Emmys: As White As Ever", The Huffington Post, September 3, 2010; retrieved October 9, 2010.