Regina King life and biography

Regina King is an American film and television actress. She is well known for her role as Mary Jenkins's (played by Marla Gibbs) studious daughter, Brenda Jenkins, 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.

Regina King is one of those actresses whose talent overshadows one irrefutable fact: She’s a total fox! Her big brown eyes, beaming smile and undeniable spark have allowed her to carve a niche playing proud, strong, beautiful women. And even now, as she approaches 40, this USC grad continues to wow.

Regina King didn’t have to go far to chase her dreams of fame and fortune -- she was born in L.A., and was the first daughter to an electrician and a teacher. Her parents divorced when she was only 8, but this ambitious young lady was not deterred.

In 1985, while she was still just a high school student, Regina King won the role of Brenda Jenkins on the successful sitcom 227. It was a lot more fun than a job at the mall, and paid a lot more too. Regina King was hooked.

Regina King had dabbled in film during her tenure on 227 (including a small part in Scrooged). When that sitcom ended in 2000, Regina threw herself into film full-time. First up was a role in John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood, followed by Poetic Justice with Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur. While her costars weren’t exactly Jodie Foster or Al Pacino, Regina King won praise and saw her stocking rising fast.

After a comedic turn in the cult hit Friday, Regina King showed that she could do funny as well as she did serious. That served her well in 1996 when she landed the role of Marcee Tidwell, wife to flamboyant wide receiver (and annoying “Show me the money” catchphrase coiner) Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.) in Cameron Crowe’s smash hit Jerry Maguire. It certainly made her one of the most recognizable African-American actresses in the industry, even if few people actually knew her name.

Buoyed by the success of Jerry Maguire, Regina King began to work steadily. She appeared in critically acclaimed dramas (Ray) and not-so-critically-acclaimed comedies (Daddy Day Care), but all the while she displayed a spark that set her apart from her colleagues. And that spark has equated to millions for this talented woman.

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".

Regina married Ian Alexander, Sr., on April 23, 1997. Their son, Ian Alexander, Jr.>/b>, was born on January 19, 1996. King filed for divorce from Alexander on November 8, 2006, citing "physical abuse, drug use, and extramarital affairs".
She was also 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. Their son died by suicide on January 21, 2022, at age 26.