Regina King
| Regina King | |
|---|---|
 King in 2010. | |
| Born |
Regina Rene King January 15, 1971 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Actress, television director |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm)[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Ian Alexander Sr. (m. 1997–2007) |
| Children | 1 |
Regina Rene King (born January 15, 1971)[2] is an American actress and television director.[3]She began her national TV career on "What's Happening Now," the rebirth of the original ABC show"What's Happening." She became known for her role as Brenda Jenkins on the NBC sitcom 227 (1985–90) and a supporting role in the feature film Jerry Maguire, then for her leading roles in two Peabody Award–winning television shows: The Boondocks and Southland. Her role in Southland earned her two Critics' Choice Award nominations for best supporting dramatic actress in 2012 and 2013. In 2015, she began starring in the ABC anthology series American Crime, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie and was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
She has a recurring role as Janine Davis on The Big Bang Theory, and has starred in numerous films, including Ray, Poetic Justice, Friday, and Legally Blonde 2.
Early life
King was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in View Park-Windsor Hills, the elder daughter of Gloria, a special education teacher, and Thomas King, an electrician.[4] The two divorced in 1979.[5] Her younger sister is actress Reina King. King attended Westchester High School and the University of Southern California.
Career
King began her acting career in 1985 playing the role of Brenda Jenkins on the television series 227,[6] 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. Later in 1996 she gained fame starring in the blockbuster romantic comedy film Jerry Maguire as Marcee Tidwell, the wife of Cuba Gooding, Jr.'s character.
She played Will Smith's character's wife 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. She most recently joined the cast of ABC's John Ridley-penned ensemble drama American Crime as a devout member of the Nation of Islam and sister to a drug addict accused of murder. Her performance was praised by television critics. In September 2015, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie.
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 | Thin Line Between Love and Hate, AA Thin Line Between Love and Hate | Mia | |
| 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 | Turnaround | Rayne | |
| 2003 | Daddy Day Care | Kim Hinton | |
| 2003 | Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde | Grace Rossiter | |
| 2004 | Cinderella Story, AA Cinderella Story | Rhonda | |
| 2004 | Ray | Margie Hendricks | |
| 2005 | Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous | Sam Fuller | |
| 2006 | Ant Bully, TheThe Ant Bully | Kreela (voice) | |
| 2007 | Year of the Dog | Layla | |
| 2007 | This Christmas | Lisa Moore | |
| 2010 | Our Family Wedding | Angela | |
| 2014 | Planes: Fire & Rescue | Dynamite (voice) |
Television
| 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 | Television film |
| 2000 | If These Walls Could Talk 2 | Allie | Television film |
| 2002 | Leap of Faith | Cynthia | Main role, 6 episodes |
| 2002 | Damaged Care | Cheryl Griffith | Television film |
| 2005–2014 | Boondocks, TheThe Boondocks | Riley and Huey Freeman | Main role, 56 episodes |
| 2006 | Women in Law | N/A | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2007 | 24 | Sandra Palmer | Main role, 9 episodes |
| 2008 | Living Proof | Ellie Jackson | Television film |
| 2009–2013 | Southland | Detective Lydia Adams | Main role, 42 episodes |
| 2013–14 | Big Bang Theory, TheThe Big Bang Theory | Janine Davis | Seasons 6–8 (recurring role; 4 episodes) |
| 2014 | The Strain | Ruby Wain | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Shameless | Gail Johnson | 4 episodes |
| 2014 | The Gabby Douglas Story | Natalie Hawkins | Television film |
| 2015–present | American Crime | Aliyah Shadeed | Season 1: Recurring role, (7 episodes) |
| Terri LaCroix | Season 2: Main role, (10 episodes) | ||
| 2015 | The Leftovers | Erika Murphy | Main role, 10 episodes |
Awards and nominations
References
- ↑ "Regina King profile". Celebrity Measurement. Retrieved 2015-07-30.
- ↑ "Regina King profile at". TVGuide.com. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
- ↑ "Regina King IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 2015-03-31.
- ↑ Regina King profile at FilmReference.com
- ↑ Regina King profile at Yahoo! Movies
- ↑ "It's Evening in America". Vanity Fair. May 2012. p. 155.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Regina King. |
- Regina King at the Internet Movie Database
- King, Regina. "The Emmys: As White As Ever", The Huffington Post, September 3, 2010; retrieved October 9, 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 Rosario Dawson for Rent |
|