Regina King is the kind of actor who can be relied on to deliver an astounding performance in whatever role she is in. While she is not always the lead in her projects, it's quite likely she will command every scene she graces and make audiences remember her performance long after the credits have rolled.
King has steadily been amassing an incredible body of work over the years and is really coming into the spotlight. With an Oscar and several Emmys, she is an actor who transitions between film and television flawlessly, delivering fantastic performances in noteworthy projects.
Jerry Maguire (1996) - 7.3
Tom Cruise delivered one of his most popular films with the charming comedy Jerry Maguire. After getting fired from his job, the titular sports agent (Cruise) attempts to stay in the business with his one client, a talented yet eccentric football player (Cuba Gooding Jr.).
King has a standout supporting role as Gooding.'s supportive and assertive wife who goes toe-to-toe with Jerry throughout the film. The movie is a funny and sweet comedy with a great love story between Cruise and Renée Zellweger at its center.
Friday (1995) - 7.3
Rapper Ice Cube wrote and starred in Friday, a vibrant comedy that served as the breakout role for Chris Tucker. Taking place over the course of a single day, Ice Cube and Tucker play two friends who try to come up with a way of getting the money they owe a local drug dealer.
King plays Ice Cube's more mature sister who simultaneously ridicules her aimless brother and worries for him. Friday is a wildly fun movie with big laughs thanks largely to Tucker's terrific performance.
Enemy Of The State (1998) - 7.3
For the first part of her career, King was largely relegated to supporting parts, but she always managed to stand out even in those underwritten roles. In Enemy of the State, King plays the wife of Will Smith's character, a lawyer who becomes the target of a covert government operation looking for evidence he unknowingly has in his possession.
The movie is a fast-paced thriller with Smith effectively playing the everyman hero and Gene Hackman doing great work as a mysterious man helping him. But King really stands out as the woman caught up in this insane situation.
Ray (2004) - 7.7
The story of legendary musician Ray Charles was brought to the big screen with Jamie Foxx in the titular role. The movie follows Ray from a young age when he lost his sight to his rise to fame in the 1950s and 1960s. It also deals with the dark periods of addiction and affairs that almost ruined his life.
Foxx is extraordinary in the lead role, inhabiting Ray Charles' mannerisms in such an effective way. King is also powerful as Margie Hendricks, the lead singer of Charles' backup singers, with whom he had an affair.
American Crime (2015) - 7.8
Not to be confused with American Crime Story, John Ridley's American Crime is another anthology series which tells a new story of crime in America each season. King has joined actors such as Felicity Huffman and Timothy Hutton in all three seasons of the show so far.
Season 1 dealt with a home invasion gone wrong which affects the lives of several people; Season 2 was a look at a sexual assault case inside a prestigious high school; and Season 3 looked at the abuse of undocumented workers. King has shown her range in each season, playing vastly different characters.
Boyz N The Hood (1991) - 7.8
King made her big-screen debut in this powerful and unforgettable coming-of-age drama from John Singleton. Boyz n the Hood follows the lives of three young boys living in South Central Los Angeles. As they reach the end of high school, they seek ways to escape the violent neighborhood they've spent their entire lives in.
The movie is an eye-opening look at the struggle of young Black men in these communities and the few options they are given to make a better life for themselves. King has a supporting role as a neighborhood girl.
Watchmen (2019) - 8.1
The story of Alan Moore's groundbreaking graphic novel is continued with Watchmen. The limited series picks up years after the events of the comic, set in an alternate universe where masked crime-fighters have changed the course of history.
King leads the series as Angela Abar, a cop who uncovers a vast and dangerous conspiracy within her own town while also hiding some big secrets of her own. The series is a brilliant continuation of the story with exciting, inventive, and thought-provoking storylines. King is badass, inspiring, and heartbreaking in the lead role.
The Leftovers (2015) - 8.3
Before collaborating with Damon Lindelof on Watchmen, King joined his previous acclaimed HBO show, The Leftovers. The three-season series dealt with a global event in which a large portion of the population vanished. It follows the people who were left behind to make sense of the new world.
King joined the series in its second season as a doctor whose family was torn apart by the incident. The Leftovers was often called one of the best of the decade as it used its unique premise to tell fascinating, challenging stories.
Southland (2009) - 8.4
As King was starting to get more prominent roles, she landed a lead on the ensemble series Southland which further showed her talent. The series follows a group of police officers in Los Angeles, with King playing a detective who attempts to balance the stress of the job with her responsibilities at home.
The series was praised for its strong characters, gripping storylines, and gritty tone. It seemed to gain a more positive reaction with each new season, finally ending after five.
The Boondocks (2005) - 8.4
As impressive as King has been on screen, her voice-over work in The Boondocks is a whole new talent she excels at. The series follows two young boys named Huey and Riley (both voiced by King) who move to the suburbs to live with their grandfather.
Along with King's incredible dual performances, the series is a hilarious, insightful, and energetic adventure. It has amassed a huge cult following over the years, making it one of the most beloved animated comedies on television.