Regina King

Regina Rene King, born January 15, 1971, is an American actress, director, and producer. She first gained public attention for starring in the television sitcom 227 and later expanded into prominent film and television roles. Recognized for her performances across drama and comedy, King has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2019, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

King was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in View Park–Windsor Hills. Her mother worked as a special education teacher, while her father was an electrician. She trained in ballet and jazz dance before taking acting lessons under coach Betty Bridges alongside her younger sister, Reina. King attended Westchester High School, graduating in 1989, and subsequently studied communications at the University of Southern California for two years before pursuing acting full-time.

King began her professional acting career in 1985 playing Brenda Jenkins on 227, a role she held until 1990 that earned her two Young Artist Award nominations. During the 1990s, she appeared in feature films such as Boyz n the Hood, Poetic Justice, and Friday. Her breakthrough into wider fame expanded with her role as Marcee Tidwell in the 1996 blockbuster film Jerry Maguire. She followed this with appearances in films such as Enemy of the State, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and Down to Earth, before starring as Margie Hendrix in the 2004 Ray Charles biographical film Ray.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, King established a diverse television and film career. She voiced characters Huey and Riley Freeman in the animated series The Boondocks and starred as Detective Lydia Adams in the police drama Southland from 2009 to 2013. She earned critical acclaim for her work in television anthologies and miniseries, winning two Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles in American Crime and a third for the miniseries Seven Seconds. Her other television credits include recurring and main roles in 24, The Leftovers, The Big Bang Theory, and the limited series Watchmen, which earned her a fourth Primetime Emmy Award.

King achieved major critical success in film for her performance in the 2018 drama If Beale Street Could Talk, winning both the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2020, she made her feature film directorial debut with One Night in Miami..., which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director. In addition to directing television episodes for series such as Scandal and This Is Us, King has continued her onscreen career with roles in the Western film The Harder They Fall, the biographical film Shirley, which she also produced, and the crime thriller Caught Stealing. She has also directed and executive produced the series A Man in Full.

King was married to Ian Alexander Sr. from 1997 to 2007, with whom she had one son, Ian Alexander Jr. Following her son's death in 2022, King has spoken publicly about grief, loss, and mental health awareness. As a producer and director, she has publicly advocated for gender diversity and inclusion in entertainment production.