Looking back at Regina King's best performances to date inherently focuses perspective forward. In stellar showing after showing and bountiful title pick after pick, this list kicks off at an 80%-rated Oscar darling. That said, Regina King's "moment" is only just happening, and she has the talent for it to last far longer than 15 minutes, as this list will attest.
King emanates control, yet has been highly entertaining when chaotic. She is a black female voice in a time of increased awareness and celebration, yet has had as much success in stories of import as ones that are silly and completely superfluous. In ten years, this might be replaced entirely.
Ray (80%)
In Jamie Foxx's Oscar-winning vehicle Ray, Regina King is Margie Hendricks, a real-life backup singer to the legendary titular musician Ray Charles. She brings signature emotion and force to the performance and, while receiving less screen time than other stars in the film, is anything but a background character.
Walk the Line, a similar Oscar-worthy American music biopic was released the following year. This was the golden era of movies reminding us that even your grandpa's favorite rock stars were oftentimes rowdy and troubled.
The Big Bang Theory (82%)
Already a big star and soon to be an Oscar winner, Regina King was not too lofty to take on a minor recurring gig on one of television's highest-rated shows in recent years. On The Big Bang Theory, she is university HR director Janine Davis.
Across from the beloved cast of brainy yet clueless characters, Regina King's trademark is brow raise and bewilderment is perfect comedy. She fends off both romantic advances and ridiculous one-liners with the same disinterest she levels at politicians and lovers in her best films.
Jerry Maguire (83%)
Before becoming a household name, Regina King was a stellar deal-sealer when it came to movies with a stacked cast. Alongside the day's biggest stars in Jerry Maguire was a burgeoning Renée Zellweger, a smarmy Jay Mohr, and even that kid from all the 90s movies. By the time King hits the screen, throw in your chips.
She is every bit as energetic and entertaining as an over-the-top Cuba Gooding Jr. (who would go on to win an Oscar for his performance) and a Tom Cruise in his absolute prime.
24 (86%)
In Season 6 of network megahit 24, Regina King joined one of 2000s television's most powerful families. Sibling to two U.S. presidents, she is influential on and off-screen as Sandra Palmer.
Playing her eldest in his second most memorable career role is Dennis Haysbert. As for his familial and governmental successor - D.B. Woodside brings a performance that keeps the White House interesting. He would go on to play a major role in Lucifer.
Southland (90%)
Southland was a TNT cop show in an era when such series were being flipped away from in favor of prestige streaming service programming and tales which pitted criminals as protagonists. This high rating suggests it is worthy of revisitation.
That will most likely be available via WarnerMedia's HBO Max at some point soon. Think of this binge-worthy series as a quality-over-quantity Law & Order with preeminent Regina King at its helm and heart.
The Leftovers (91%)
The Leftovers is a show about normal people in extraordinary situations. This may be the perfect thespian playground for Regina King. Her versatility makes her relatable and malleable to a suburban sofa if that's the scene. However, like co-stars Justin Theroux, Christoper Eccleston, and most of the cast, she can carry superhuman sentiment.
Add to this brilliant story and talented actor the fact that King plays an antagonist and there's a strong argument for this as her most interesting work.
If Beale Street Could Talk (94%)
Only halfway through the list, we arrive at Regina King's Oscar campaign. If Beale Street Could Talk was the highly anticipated follow-up to Moonlight from instant directing icon Barry Jenkins. Being a James Baldwin adaptation, it shined of Oscar gold from its greenlighting.
Arguably snubbed in the Best Picture and Best Director categories, King brought home the hardware on behalf of the poetic film. She plays a loving mother called to fight for her daughter amid unexpected trauma and trial. Fight she does.
Watchmen (95%)
It's another phenomenon, and just another day, at HBO. When Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons' Watchmen, one of the greatest American works of fiction, was put on screen in 2009, reviews were mixed. This past year's series, however, is a multiple Emmy nominee and continues to provide fodder for Zoom chat water cooler conversation.
For Regina King, it's a starring role if there's ever been one. She's a protagonist cop. She's a superhero. She's nominated for her fifth Emmy because she also gets to be complex and emotional in the radical comic book adaptation.
American Crime (96%)
Not to be confused with American Crime Story, similar anthology series American Crime was among television's best secrets from 2015-2017. Not taking on high-profile pop culture cases, the show instead found drama among everyday people.
Ironically, the other source of major star power for American Crime alongside Regina King was Felicity Huffman. She recently completed a prison sentence for American crimes of her own.
Boyz N The Hood (96%)
Just over a year ago, bravado black director John Singleton passed away. For a man who rebooted Shaft, directed a Fast & Furious film, and scored an Emmy nomination for one of the best episodes of American Crime Story's first season, his outstanding debut Boyz N the Hood still stands as his greatest achievement and the top scorer on this list.
As for King, her suffer-no-fools Shalika is far from her most renowned performance, yet it is certainly among those for which she is most known.