Regina King
| Regina King | |
|---|---|
 Regina King, Los Angeles, California May 22, 2010 |
|
| Born | January 15, 1971 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Spouse(s) | Ian Alexander Sr. (1997-2007) (divorced) 1 child |
Regina King (born January 15, 1971)[1] is an American film and television actress. She is known for her role as Brenda Jenkins, the studious daughter of Mary Jenkins (played by Marla Gibbs) on the 1980s sitcom, 227, and for her critically acclaimed supporting role in the feature film Jerry Maguire. She is also known for voicing the lead characters of the animated series The Boondocks. King starred in the television series Southland in the role of Detective Lydia Adams until 2013.
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Early life [edit]
King was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Gloria, a special education teacher, and Thomas King, an electrician.[2] The two divorced in 1979.[3] She is the older sister of actress Reina King. Regina and Reina mean "queen" in Italian/Latin and Spanish, respectively. King attended Westchester High School and the University of Southern California.
Career [edit]
King began her acting career in 1985 in the role of Marla Gibbs' daughter Brenda on the television series 227,[4] a role she played until 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 Friday. In 1996, she gained fame starring in the blockbuster romantic comedy Jerry Maguire, with Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding, Jr. This film brought King mainstream recognition in her role as Marcee Tidwell, the wife of Cuba Gooding Jr.’s character.
Soon thereafter she played Will Smith's wife in the spy thriller Enemy of the State, and was also featured in How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Disney's remake Mighty Joe Young. She continued playing feature roles in a variety of films, including Down to Earth, with Chris Rock; Daddy Day Care, with Golden Globe winner Eddie Murphy; Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, with Reese Witherspoon and Sally Field; and A Cinderella Story, with Hilary Duff and Jennifer Coolidge.
In 2004, in the movie Ray, King played Margie Hendricks, a singer in Ray Charles’ backup group The Raelettes and one of the musical legend’s mistresses. Following in 2005, she co-starred in Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous as Sandra Bullock's tough FBI agent partner. Additionally, she is the star of the Adult Swim show The Boondocks, providing the voices for the characters Huey and Riley Freeman, as well as the feature film The Ant Bully. Most recently, she appeared in season 6 of the hit show 24 and the film This Christmas, with an all star cast, such as Loretta Devine, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, and Chris Brown. In 2008, she appeared in the TV film Living Proof.
King currently stars in the TNT police drama Southland, as Detective Lydia Adams. NBC originally aired the show's first few episodes and then requested new episodes. NBC, however, began airing Jay Leno's then-new talk show five nights a week in prime time, occupying the time slot Southland and other scripted television series had held during week nights. NBC did not feel the show could work in an earlier time slot due to its grittier nature, thus the network did not pick up the second season of Southland. Cable network TNT believed the show would be a good fit for TNT and in January 2010, that network began airing the original NBC episodes, in addition to ordering new episodes of Southland.
King is set to make her directorial debut with a film adaption of the 2005 best-selling novel Let the Church Say Amen by author ReShonda Tate Billingsley.
Personal life [edit]
King married Ian Alexander, Sr., on April 23, 1997. King filed for divorce from Alexander on November 8, 2006, citing "physical abuse, drug use, and extramarital affairs".[5] They have one child, son Ian Alexander Jr.[1]
King is dating actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner. They have known each other since the 1980s; both starred on NBC sitcoms during the mid-1980s, she on 227, and he on The Cosby Show.[6]
Filmography [edit]
Film [edit]
| 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 | |
| 1996 | Jerry Maguire | Marcee Tidwell | |
| 1998 | Rituals | 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 | Turnaround | 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 Moore | |
| 2010 | Our Family Wedding | Angela |
Television [edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-1990 | 227 | Brenda Jenkins | Main role (106 episodes) |
| 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 | TV film |
| 2000 | If These Walls Could Talk 2 | Allie | Segment: "2000" |
| 2002 | Leap of Faith | Cynthia | Regular role (6 episodes) |
| 2002 | Damaged Care | Cheryl Griffith | TV film |
| 2005-2010 | The Boondocks | Riley Freeman / Huey Freeman (voice) | Main role (46 episodes) |
| 2006 | Women in Law | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 2006 | The Ant Bully | Kreela (voice) | Video game |
| 2007 | 24 | Sandra Palmer | (9 episodes) |
| 2008 | Living Proof | Ellie Jackson | TV film |
| 2009-2013 | Southland | Det. Lydia Adams | Main role (43 episodes) |
| 2013 | The Big Bang Theory | Janine Davis | Episodes: "The Egg Salad Equivalency", "The Tenure Turbulence" |
| 2013 | Divorce: A Love Story | Cassandra | TV film, pre-production |
Awards and nominations [edit]
- BET Award
- 2012, Best Acress: Southland (nominated)
- 2011, Best Actress: Southland (nominated)
- 2010, Best Actress: Southland & Our Family Wedding (Nominated)
- 2005, Best Actress: Ray (Winner)
- 2001, Best Actress: Down to Earth (Nominated)
- Black Reel Awards
- 2005, Best Actress (Drama): Ray (Nominated)
- 2001, Best Actress: Down to Earth (Nominated)
- NAACP Image Awards
- 2012, Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series: Southland (Winner)
- 2011, Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series: Southland (Winner)
- 2010, Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series: Southland (Nominated)
- 2005, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Ray (Winner)
- 2002, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Down to Earth (Nominated)
- 1999, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Enemy of the State (Nominated)
- Screen Actors Guild
- 2005, Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture: Ray (Nominated)
References [edit]
- ^ a b "Regina King". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- ^ Regina King Biography (1971-)
- ^ Regina King Biography - Yahoo! Movies
- ^ "It's Evening in America". Vanity Fair. May 2012. Page 155.
- ^ Richard Johnson (2006-11-08). "We hear . . . we hear . . .". New York Post. Retrieved 2008-09-10.[dead link]
- ^ "Regina King 'not engaged' to Malcolm-Jamal Warner". USA Today. 2011-01-11. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
External links [edit]
- Regina King at the Internet Movie Database
- Regina King on Myspace
- King, Regina. "The Emmys: As White As Ever", The Huffington Post, 3 September 2010. Retrieved on 9 October 2010.
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| BET Award | ||
| Preceded by Halle Berry |
Best Actress 2005 for Ray |
Succeeded by Taraji P. Henson |
| NAACP Image Award | ||
| Preceded by Alfre Woodard for Radio |
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture 2005 for Ray |
Succeeded by Cicely Tyson for Diary of a Mad Black Woman |
| Satellite Award | ||
| Preceded by Patricia Clarkson for Pieces of April |
Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Comedy or Musical 2005 for Ray |
Succeeded by Meryl Streep for The Devil Wears Prada |
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