Regina King

Regina King is known for both her small and silver screen performances. She’s starred in a variety of productions and genres showcasing her versatile acting talents. Before she made it to the big leagues, King studied acting for 10 years. Thanks to Betty Bridges, mother to ‘Diff’rent Strokes’ actor Todd Bridges, King learned the ins and outs of acting. She started at a young age, and landed her first role at 13 years old in the play ‘227.’ One year later, this very role scored King her first breakout TV gig as Brenda Jenkins on the NBC sitcom, ‘227.’ After the comedy came to an end, King moved to the movie world and starred in the critically acclaimed ‘Boyz n the Hood,’ alongside Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Laurence Fishburne. This was her silver screen debut. Ever since these two breakout roles, King has appeared in some of the top TV shows and films. For example, her TV stints include ‘24,’ ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and the recently canceled TNT drama series, ‘Southland,’ where she portrayed Detective Lydia Johnson. She’s also appeared in movies like ‘Friday,’ ‘Jerry Maguire,’ ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back,’ ‘Enemy of the State,’ ‘A Cinderella Story’ and ‘Ray.’ Her acting talents never go unnoticed, as in 2004, she received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her part in ‘Ray.’ She’s also been recognized by the BET Awards for ‘Ray,’ ‘A Cinderella Story’ and ‘Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous.’ King isn’t just an onscreen actress, but also dabbles in the voiceover industry. For 46 episodes, she voiced Riley and Huey Freeman in the Cartoon Network series ‘The Boondocks.’ Not only is she known for her acting abilities, but King is also recognized for her personal relationships. In 2007, she and husband Ian Alexander divorced, after ten years of marriage. They have one son, Ian Alexander, Jr. For two years, she was also in a serious relationship with ‘The Cosby Show’ actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner. They broke up in 2013.