From Teen Actress to Emmy-Oscar Winner: The Story of Regina King

Before she was an Emmy and Oscar Winning Actress, she was a child actress on the sitcom 227. King started at the age of 13 acting in 227 a sitcom with a black middle-class family living in a middle-class apartment in DC. After the end of 227, she starred in every supporting role in films and TV shows. Throughout her career, she continued with her acting career until she was nominated for her performances and earned her accolades including an Oscar and Emmys.

Early Life

Regina Rene King was born on January 15, 1971, in Los Angeles, California to her parents: Gloria Jean (née Cain), a special education teacher, and Thomas Henry King Jr., an electrician. When King was eight years old, her parents were divorced. King attended Westchester High School graduating in 1988.

Birth of 227 and Young Regina

Actress Marla Gibbs saw the play written by and gained interest to adapt the play into a television series. The story the lives of women in a predominantly Black apartment building in 1950s Chicago. The setting of the series, however, was changed to present-day Washington, D.C. According to Gibbs, 227 was originally offered to ABC but sold to NBC. Since The Jeffersons was still on the air on CBS, the new show was scheduled to begin in 1986. However, when The Jeffersons was abruptly and unexpectedly canceled in 1985, Gibbs was free to begin, and 227 went into production a year earlier than had been previously planned. King auditioned for the role of Brenda Jenkins, the daughter of Mary and Lester Jenkins, 14 times until she was cast along with her TV on-screen parents Gibbs and Hal Williams, Jackee Harry, Helen Martin, her on-screen TV crush Curtis Baldwin, Alaina Reed Hall, and Kia Goodwin. 227 premiered on September 14, 1985.

The sitcom was a comical hit earning King her Young Artist Award nomination. The show ran for five seasons until the show ended in 1990.

Supporting Character

After the cancellation of 227, King attended the University of Southern California to study communications but instead, she continued with her acting career. She went on to appear in the John Singleton films: Boyz n the Hood, Poetic Justice, and Higher Learning. She had a breakout role in Friday playing as Dana, Craig’s sister. Then, she continues with Higher Learning, Jerry McCguire, and How Stella Got Her Groove On.

In the 2000s, she continued working in films and TV shows including Down to Earth, Daddy Day Care, A Cinderella Story, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, and Ray.

In 2005, she also voiced both Riley and Huey Freeman in Adult Swim's animated series The Boondocks (in case nobody knew).

In 2015, King was a cast member on ABC's John Ridley-penned ensemble drama American Crime, playing three roles, including a devout member of the Nation of Islam and the sister of a drug addict accused of murder. In 2015 and 2016, King won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie for her roles.

In 2018, King starred in If Beale Street Could Talk based on the novel by James Baldwin. Her performance as Sharon Rivers earned praise from critics and received accolades for her performance including winning her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Directorial Debut

Other than acting, King has been focused on directing. She started directing Jahiem's music video for the 2010 song "Finding My Way Back". She would direct Kelly Price's music video "Not My Daddy" featuring Stokley from Mint Condition.

King directed several television shows including Scandal, Being Mary Jane, Shameless, Animal Kingdom, Insecure, and This is Us. King would direct her debut feature film One Night in Miami, based on a stage play written by Kemp Powers. The film sets boxer Cassius Clay (before he changed his name to Muhammad Ali), footballer Jim Brown, singer Sam Cooke, and civil rights activist Malcolm X meeting each other at a Miami hotel after Clay's win and watched over by Nation of Islam security since Malcolm has been threatened to be assassinated. British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir was cast as Malcolm X, Tony Winner Leslie Odom as Sam Cooke, Aldis Hodge as Jim Brown, and Eli Goree as Cassius Clay. The film received praise for King's direction and the ensemble cast.

The film received accolades including Oscars and Golden Globe nominations.

Death of her Son

On January 21, 2022, King suffered a tragic loss that changed her life forever. King's only son, Ian Alexander Jr committed suicide at the age of 26.

What Now?

Ever since her son's death, King has been slowly coming back to her acting career. King produced and starred as Shirley Chislom in Netfilx's Shirley. The film would also be Lance Reddick's final film performance before his sudden passing on March 17, 2023, and Regina's sister Reina's first acting film debut.

King appeared on GMA breaking her silence since her son's death and the Jimmy Kimmel show leaving the late-night TV host emotional to see her again.

Hopefully, we'll see more of Ms. King's comeback!

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