Regina Rene King (born January 15, 1971) is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of several awards, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and four acting Primetime Emmy Awards, the most for an African-American performer. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019.
King first gained attention for her role as Brenda Jenkins in the television series 227 from 1985 to 1990. Notable roles followed in the films Friday (1995) and Jerry Maguire (1996), and the crime television series Southland (2009–2013). From 2015 to 2017, King starred in the ABC anthology series American Crime, for which she won two Primetime Emmy Awards, and in 2018, she starred in the Netflix miniseries Seven Seconds, for which she won her third Emmy Award. Her role as a troubled mother in the 2018 film If Beale Street Could Talk won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. King won her fourth Emmy Award for starring in the 2019 superhero television series Watchmen.
King has also played supporting roles in the films Boyz n the Hood (1991), Poetic Justice (1993), Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003), Ray (2004), and Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous (2005). Her other television roles include the drama series The Leftovers from 2015 to 2017 and the sitcom The Big Bang Theory from 2013 to 2019.
King has directed episodes for several television shows, including Scandal in 2015 and 2016 and This Is Us in 2017. She has also directed the music video for the 2010 song “Finding My Way Back” by Jaheim. Her feature film directorial debut came with the drama One Night in Miami (2020), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director at the 78th Golden Globe Awards. She became the second black woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director.
Early life and education
King was born in Los Angeles and grew up in View Park–Windsor Hills. She is the eldest daughter of Gloria (Cain), a special education teacher, and Thomas King, an electrician. King’s parents divorced in 1979. King’s younger sister is former actress Reina King, who appeared on What’s Happening Now!! King attended Westchester High School; graduating in 1988 and later attended the University of Southern California.
Career
Early work in television and film
King began her acting career in 1985 playing the role of Brenda Jenkins on the television series 227, 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. In 1995, she was featured in the hit comedy film Friday. In 1996, she starred in the Martin Lawrence dark comedy-romance A Thin Line Between Love and Hate as Mia. King gained fame starring in the 1996 blockbuster romantic comedy film Jerry Maguire as Marcee Tidwell. She had a role in Enemy of the State and was also featured in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Mighty Joe Young, Down to Earth, Daddy Day Care, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, A Cinderella Story, Ray, and Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous.
Beginning in the mid-2000s, she had ongoing roles on several TV series, including acclaimed work as the voice of Huey and Riley Freeman for the animated series The Boondocks and Detective Lydia Adams on the TNT police drama Southland. She also appeared in roles on 24, The Big Bang Theory, and Shameless. In 2007 she played Lisa Moore in This Christmas.
Breakthrough and critical success
King was a cast member on ABC’s John Ridley-penned ensemble drama American Crime, playing three roles, including a devout member of the Nation of Islam and the sister of a drug addict accused of murder. In September 2015 and September 2016, King won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie for American Crime. In 2018, she played the role of the mother of a murdered black teenager in the Netflix original series Seven Seconds, winning her third Primetime Emmy Award. 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.
King starred in the 2019 series Watchmen, for which she won her fourth Primetime Emmy Award. In July 2019, it was announced King would direct One Night in Miami based upon the play of the same name. Principal photography began in January 2020. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 7, 2020, the first film directed by an African-American woman to be selected in the festival’s history.
Personal life
King was married to Ian Alexander from 1997 to 2007. They have a son.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Boyz n the Hood | Shalika | |
| 1993 | Poetic Justice | Iesha | |
| 1995 | Higher Learning | Monet | |
| 1995 | Friday | Dana Jones | |
| 1996 | A Thin Line Between Love and Hate | Mia Williams | |
| 1996 | Jerry Maguire | Marcee Tidwell | |
| 1998 | Rituals | N/A | Short film |
| 1998 | How Stella Got Her Groove Back | Vanessa | |
| 1998 | Enemy of the State | Carla Dean | |
| 1998 | Mighty Joe Young | Cecily Banks | |
| 1999 | Love and Action in Chicago | Lois Newton | |
| 2001 | Down to Earth | Sontee Jenkins | |
| 2002 | Truth Be Told | Rayne | |
| 2003 | Daddy Day Care | Kim Hinton | |
| 2003 | Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde | Grace Rossiter | |
| 2004 | A Cinderella Story | Rhonda | |
| 2004 | Ray | Margie Hendricks | |
| 2005 | Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous | Sam Fuller | |
| 2006 | The Ant Bully | Kreela | Voice |
| 2007 | Year of the Dog | Layla | |
| 2007 | This Christmas | Lisa Whitfield-Moore | |
| 2010 | Our Family Wedding | Angela | |
| 2013 | Let the Church Say Amen | Director | |
| 2014 | Planes: Fire & Rescue | Dynamite | Voice |
| 2018 | If Beale Street Could Talk | Sharon Rivers | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2021 | The Harder They Fall | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985–1990 | 227 | Brenda Jenkins | Main role (seasons 1–5) |
| 1994 | Northern Exposure | Mother Nature | Episode: “Baby Blues” |
| 1994 | New York Undercover | Marah | Episode: “Tasha” |
| 1995 | Living Single | Zina | Episode: “The Shake-Up” |
| 1999 | Where the Truth Lies | Lillian Rose-Martin | Television film |
| 2000 | If These Walls Could Talk 2 | Allie | Television film |
| 2002 | Leap of Faith | Cynthia | Main role (season 1) |
| 2002 | Damaged Care | Cheryl Griffith | Television film |
| 2005–2014 | The Boondocks | Riley Freeman / Huey Freeman | Voice; Main role (seasons 1–4) |
| 2006 | Women in Law | N/A | Pilot |
| 2007 | 24 | Sandra Palmer | Main role (season 6) |
| 2008 | Living Proof | Ellie Jackson | Television film |
| 2009–2013 | Southland | Detective Lydia Adams | Main role (seasons 1–5) |
| 2012 | RuPaul’s Drag Race | Herself (guest judge) | Episode: “Dragazines” |
| 2013–2019 | The Big Bang Theory | Janine Davis | 6 episodes |
| 2014 | The Strain | Ruby Wain | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Shameless | Gail Johnson | 4 episodes |
| 2014 | The Gabby Douglas Story | Natalie Hawkins | Television film |
| 2015–2017 | American Crime | Aliyah Shadeed | Recurring role (season 1) |
| Terri LaCroix | Main role (season 2) | ||
| Kimara Walters | Main role (season 3) | ||
| 2015, 2017 | The Leftovers | Erika Murphy | Main role (season 2); guest role (season 3) |
| 2018 | Seven Seconds | Latrice Butler | Main role |
| 2019 | Watchmen | Angela Abar / Sister Night | Main role |
| 2021 | Saturday Night Live | Herself (host) | Episode: “Regina King/Nathaniel Rateliff” |
As director
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Southland | Episode: “Off Duty” |
| 2015 | Being Mary Jane | 6 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Scandal | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | The Catch | Episode: “The Princess and the I.P.” |
| 2016 | Animal Kingdom | Episode: “Child Care” |
| 2016 | Greenleaf | Episode: “Veni, Vidi, Vici” |
| 2016 | Pitch | Episode: “The Break” |
| 2017 | This Is Us | Episode: “The 20s” |
| 2017 | Shameless | Episode: “Fuck Paying It Forward” |
| 2018 | The Good Doctor | Episode: “Heartfelt” |
| 2018 | Insecure | Episode: “Ghost-Like” |
| 2020 | One Night in Miami | Feature film; also executive producer |
As music video director
| Year | Song | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | “Finding My Way Back” | Jaheim |
| 2011 | “Not My Daddy” | Kelly Price featuring Stokley |