Regina King age, height, career path, family, son, husband 2025

Regina King's Biography

Regina Rene King is an American actress who started her career as a teenager, landing the role of Brenda, the daughter of the lead character in the sitcom "227" in 1985. Since then, she has appeared in over fifty film and television projects, earning numerous awards, including an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and three Emmys.

She gained major recognition through standout performances in "Boyz n the Hood", "Enemy of the State", "Ray", "Southland", "The Big Bang Theory", and "If Beale Street Could Talk". In 2019, Time magazine named her among the top 100 most influential people in the world.

Early Life

The future Hollywood star was born on January 15, 1971, in Los Angeles. Her mother, Gloria, was a teacher, and her father, Thomas, was an electrician. In 1975, her sister Reina was born. Interestingly, both their names mean "queen": Regina in Latin and Reina in Spanish. In 1979, their parents separated.

Regina attended a public high school in Westchester, an area adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport. In 1988, she graduated and enrolled at the University of Southern California. She quickly emerged as one of the program's standout talents, diving into productions and tackling the most demanding and crucial roles.

Early Roles

King knew her calling early and dove into acting studies. For ten years, actress Betty A. Bridges mentored her, helping her master speech techniques, improvisation, body language, and other performance essentials.

Watchmen Star Regina King Reacts To Her Most Iconic Roles

At 14, King made her television debut in the comedy series "227". Running on NBC from 1985 to 1990, it became the most successful sitcom centered on an African-American cast.

In 1991, while attending the University of Southern California, she starred in the LA ghetto drama "Boyz n the Hood", the debut film of John Singleton. Singleton scored an Oscar nomination for the film, becoming the youngest director ever nominated at just 24. After landing several smaller TV roles, King reunited with Singleton in 1995 for "Higher Learning", tackling themes of racism.

Regina King in the movie 'Boyz n the Hood'

Around the same time, King played the role of the sister to the main character, Craig (Ice Cube), in the iconic comedy "Friday", which Quentin Tarantino listed as one of the top twenty films since 1992.

Career Development

In 1996, two movies featuring the actress were released - "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate" and "Jerry Maguire." In the latter, her co-stars were Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding Jr., with King playing the wife of Gooding Jr.'s character.

King's next role was as Carla, the wife of the lead character Robert (Will Smith) in the 1998 thriller "Enemy of the State." That same year, she starred in the romantic drama "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and the adventure movie "Mighty Joe Young," alongside Charlize Theron and Bill Paxton.

Regina King and Will Smith in 'Enemy of the State'

Beyond feature films, King has built an impressive television resume. In 2000, she appeared in the TV film "If These Walls Could Talk 2," which received numerous award nominations. In 2002, she landed a leading role in the sitcom "Leap of Faith" alongside Lisa Edelstein, Sarah Paulson, and Ken Marino.

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In 2003, King appeared in two comedies: Eddie Murphy's "Daddy Day Care" and the Reese Witherspoon sequel "Legally Blonde 2," which earned around $125 million against a $45 million budget. The following year brought two more roles: fairy godmother Rhonda to Samantha (Hilary Duff) in "A Cinderella Story," and Margie Hendricks, lover and mother to the lead character's child in the biographical drama "Ray."

Regina King and Eddie Murphy in 'Daddy Day Care'

"Ray" chronicled the life of legendary musician Ray Charles, with Jamie Foxx earning an Oscar for his portrayal. Regina believes the role chose her:

I found very little information about Margie, so I mostly relied on the sound of her voice to understand who she was. But I feel like Margie was there with me when I played the part. The role chose me, and I chose the role. It's as if Margie spoke to me; I think I couldn't have played any other female role in the movie except for Margie's.

One standout musical moment was Charles' classic "Hit The Road Jack," featuring a heated exchange between an angry woman and a cheating man. King delivered a powerhouse performance as the scorned woman, furious that her lover won't leave his wife for her and their child.

Hit the Road Jack (Ray)

Her next cinematic role was as FBI Agent Sam in the comedic action film "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous" alongside Sandra Bullock. Between 2005 and 2010, she lent her voice to animated films "The Boondocks" and "Ant Bully" in 2006.

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She then became a television regular, notably starring in "Southland" from 2009 to 2013 as Detective Lydia Adams while also directing episodes. From 2013 to 2017, she had a recurring role in "The Big Bang Theory". In 2014, she appeared in the horror drama "The Strain" and the comedic drama "Shameless".

Regina King in The Big Bang Theory

She then joined the cast of "American Crime," the innovative drama series that competed directly with premium television. Working alongside Felicity Huffman and Timothy Hutton, she delivered a brilliant performance as a Nation of Islam member and sister to a murder suspect—a role that earned her an Emmy.

Around the same time, she starred as Dr. Murphy, who runs an emergency care center, in the psychological thriller "The Leftovers." The role earned her Critics' Choice and Gold Derby award nominations in 2016. She shared the screen with actors Justin Theroux, Margaret Qualley, Liv Tyler, and Scott Glenn.

In 2018, she transformed into the mother of a murdered teenager in Netflix's "Seven Seconds," winning another Primetime Emmy for the performance.

That same year, she played Sharon in the crime drama "If Beale Street Could Talk," adapted from James Baldwin's novel. The role brought widespread acclaim and an Oscar win in 2019. The story follows Tish's mother as she fights to prove the innocence of Fonny (Stephan James), who's been wrongfully accused of rape while Tish (KiKi Layne) carries his child.

Regina King wins Best Supporting Actress

In October 2019, HBO premiered the superhero drama "Watchmen," based on the comic series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. She plays the lead role of Angela, aka "Sister Night." Set in an alternate reality Oklahoma, the story pits superheroes looking to start a revolution against those trying to stop them.

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Unfortunately, the series didn't win over "Watchmen" fans or even the comic's creator, Alan Moore. Moore actually asked HBO to never contact him again. Not surprisingly, the show was canceled after just one season. That said, you can't blame Regina—she was completely dedicated to her character.

Angela wears different masks, just like all of us. We behave differently depending on situations in our lives, and Angela is a fitting and thoughtful representation of this. Throughout high school, I constantly wore different «masks,» adapting my behavior based on who I was with. I didn't have one set group of friends, so on Mondays, I'd hang out with skaters and on Tuesdays with the stoners. I always had to adapt.

In 2021, Regina King appeared in two projects: the Netflix western "The Harder They Fall" and the crime drama "Flag Day."

Regina King's Personal Life

The acclaimed actress isn't currently married. She's previously been linked to Curtis Baldwin, her co-star from "227," and later dated professional basketball player Quentin Richardson.

From 1997 to 2007, she was married to Ian Alexander, a VP at Warner Bros. Records and later became a music producer.

The couple welcomed their son Ian Jr. in 1996. King filed for divorce in 2006, citing domestic violence, drug addiction, and infidelity.

Ian Alexander Jr. took his own life in early 2022, just days after turning 26. King didn't share details publicly, asking only that the media respect her family's privacy during this tragedy.

In 2022, Regina King's son committed suicide

King maintains a close friendship with actress and singer Tichina Arnold. She enjoys traveling and relaxing by the sea.

Regina King Now

The biographical drama "Shirley," focusing on Shirley Chisholm, is set for release in 2024, the first Black woman to run for US President (in 1972). Four years prior, she became the first Black congresswoman. King takes on the role of Chisholm, explaining, "Shirley Chisholm's fearless determination has inspired many of us, and we hope this film will inspire many future generations."