Regina King

January 15, 2025

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Regina Rene King was born on January 15, 1971, and she is an amazing actress and director. King rose to prominence after portraying Brenda Jenkins in the 1985 to 1990 television series “227.” She earned two Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles in the anthology series “American Crime” from 2015 to 2017. She received her third Primetime Emmy Award for her role in the Netflix miniseries “Seven Seconds” in 2018. In 2015 and 2016, King directed episodes of the political thriller T.V. series “Scandal.” Join us in celebrating her here.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Regina Rene King

Nickname:

Gina

Birth date:

January 15, 1971

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Capricorn

Height:

5' 3"

Relationship Status:

In a relationship

Net Worth:

$16 million

Background

Regina King was born on January 15, 1971, in Los Angeles County, California to Gloria Jean and Thomas Henry King Jr. She graduated from Westchester High School in 1988. She then studied communications at the University of Southern California but dropped out after two years to pursue her dream as an actress.

She made her acting debut in 1985 on the television series “227.” She starred in the comedy film “Friday” in 1995. The following year, she played Mia in Martin Lawrence’s dark comedy-romance “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate,” and then appeared in the smash romantic comedy “Jerry Maguire.” She received her first N.A.A.C.P. Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture in 1998 for her role in the film “Enemy of the State.” She starred in season six of the television series “24” and appeared in the films “Year of the Dog” and “This Christmas” in 2007. In 2015, King appeared in three episodes of the drama “American Crime.” From 2015 to 2017, King directed six episodes of the drama series “Being Mary Jane.” She directed two episodes of “Scandal” in 2016 and one episode each of “The Catch,” “Animal Kingdom,” “This Is Us,” and “Shameless.”

She won her third Primetime Emmy Award for her role in “Seven Seconds.” She won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 2018 film “If Beale Street Could Talk.” In July 2019, King directed “One Night in Miami…,” which made its global debut at the Venice Film Festival in 2020. She also won the N.A.A.C.P. Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in “The Harder They Fall” in October 2021. From 1997 to 2007, King was married to actor and record producer Ian Alexander Sr.

Career timeline

1985

The Television Debut

King makes her acting debut in the television series "227," where she plays Brenda Jenkins.

1991

The Film Debut

King portrays Shalika in the American drama film “Boyz n the Hood.”

2013

The Directorial Debut

King directs an episode in the American crime drama television series “Southland.”

2015-2016

The Emmy Award Winner

King wins an Emmy as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for “American Crime.”

2019

The Academy Award

King wins an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for “If Beale Street Could Talk.”

2021

The Big Hollywood Honor

Outside Hollywood's famed T.C.L. Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, she is invited to imprint her hands and feet in cement.

Why We Love Regina King

She’s a sought-after director
Acting didn't satisfy King's artistic desires, so she pursued a second career in filmmaking. Her first directorial credit was for an episode of the N.B.C. comedy "Southland.” She went on to direct a TV movie and a documentary before directing many episodes of Gabrielle Union's "Being Mary Jane."
Her advice on “getting stuck”
In an interview with “Marie Claire” magazine, she refuses to live in the past, choosing instead to live in the moment while remaining open to embrace whatever the future holds. King warned that without pushing boundaries, true growth will never occur and that comfort zones are where dreams go to die.
She is talented
In addition to working in front of and behind the camera, King has also lent her voice to animated characters. She voiced an ant in the 2006 animated film "The Ant Bully.” In Pixar's 2014 animated picture "Planes: Fire and Rescue," she voiced a truck named Dynamite. Indeed, she’s a woman of many talents!

5 Surprising Facts

She wanted to be a dentist
King revealed she had originally planned to pursue a profession as a dentist, in a 2019 interview on the "Late Show with Stephen Colbert."
Her tattoo
She has a tattoo that matches her son’s.
Death in the family
At the age of 26, her son Ian Alexander Jr., a musician, committed suicide on January 21, 2022.
An actress for a sister
Reina King, her younger sister, is a former actress who starred in "What's Happening Now!!"
Her acting coach
Actress Betty A. Bridges trained King in acting for almost 10 years before the latter made her acting debut in 1985.