Regina King has an estimated net worth of $16 million. The American actress and director has built her wealth through a career spanning more than three decades in film and television.
King began her professional acting career as a child on the NBC sitcom 227 in the 1980s. She later transitioned into film and adult television roles, appearing in acclaimed productions including Boyz n the Hood, Friday, Jerry Maguire, Ray, Southland, American Crime and Watchmen.
Her career has earned her multiple Emmy Awards and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in If Beale Street Could Talk.
In addition to acting, King has established herself as a successful television and film director. Her feature directorial debut, One Night in Miami…, received widespread critical acclaim and earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director.
- Regina King Net Worth: $16 Million
- Date of Birth: January 15, 1971
- Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California
- Nationality: American
- Career: actress and director
Early Life
Regina Rene King was born on January 15, 1971, in Los Angeles, California.
She is the daughter of Thomas King, an electrician, and Gloria King, a special education teacher. She has a younger sister, Reina.
King’s parents divorced when she was young.
She attended Westchester High School in Los Angeles before enrolling at the University of Southern California.
Her interest in entertainment emerged early, and she began auditioning for acting roles as a child.
Regina King and 227
King landed her breakthrough role in 1985 when she joined the cast of the NBC sitcom 227.
She portrayed Brenda Jenkins, the daughter of characters played by Marla Gibbs and Hal Williams.
The series ran for 116 episodes through 1990 and gave King valuable experience as a young performer.
Her performance also earned her two Young Artist Award nominations in 1986 and 1987.
The success of 227 provided King with a foundation for her transition into film and adult television roles.
Film Career
After 227 ended, King began building an impressive film career.
She appeared in John Singleton’s 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, followed by roles in Poetic Justice and Higher Learning.
In 1995, she appeared in the comedy Friday, starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker.
The following year, King appeared in A Thin Line Between Love and Hate and gained wider recognition after starring in the blockbuster romantic comedy Jerry Maguire.
Her film career continued with roles in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Enemy of the State, Mighty Joe Young and Love and Action in Chicago.
During the 2000s, King appeared in several comedies, including Down to Earth, Daddy Day Care, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, A Cinderella Story, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous and This Christmas.
She also took on more dramatic roles, including her performance as singer Margie Hendrix in the 2004 musical biopic Ray, opposite Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles.
If Beale Street Could Talk and Oscar Win
One of the biggest achievements of King’s film career came in 2018 with If Beale Street Could Talk.
Based on the novel by James Baldwin, the film follows a young couple whose lives are disrupted after the man is wrongly accused of a crime.
King played Sharon Rivers, the mother of the young woman at the center of the story.
Her performance earned widespread critical acclaim and several major awards.
Most notably, King won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, establishing her as one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation.
She subsequently appeared in films including Flag Day and The Harder They Fall.
Television Career
Television has been one of the most important parts of Regina King’s career.
Following her early success on 227, she appeared in programs including Northern Exposure, New York Undercover and Living Single.
She later landed a role on the NBC sitcom Leap of Faith.
In 2005, King began providing the voices of Huey and Riley Freeman on the animated series The Boondocks.
She joined the cast of 24 in 2007, playing Sandra Palmer during the show’s sixth season.
King subsequently earned a leading role as Detective Lydia Adams on Southland, which ran from 2009 to 2013.
She also appeared in television series including The Big Bang Theory, The Strain and Shameless.
Regina King’s Emmy Awards
King’s television career reached another level during the 2010s.
From 2015 to 2017, she appeared in three seasons of the ABC anthology series American Crime, portraying different characters.
Her performances earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards.
She later starred in the Netflix limited series Seven Seconds, portraying Latrice Butler, the mother of a murdered teenager.
The performance earned King another Emmy Award.
King subsequently took on one of her most acclaimed television roles as Angela Abar in HBO’s Watchmen.
Her performance earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie in 2020.
The win added to her reputation as one of the most decorated Black actresses in television history.
Regina King Directing Career
King has also built a successful career behind the camera.
She began directing television in 2013 with an episode of Southland.
She later directed episodes of Being Mary Jane, Scandal, The Catch, Animal Kingdom, Greenleaf, Pitch, This Is Us, Shameless, The Good Doctor and Insecure.
Her television directing work eventually led to her feature film debut.
One Night in Miami…
King made her feature film directing debut in 2020 with One Night in Miami….
The historical drama was based on the play by Kemp Powers and focuses on a fictionalized meeting between four influential Black figures: Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown.
The film received widespread critical acclaim.
King’s work earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director, making her only the second Black woman to receive a nomination in that category at the time.
The success of the film strengthened King’s reputation as both a performer and filmmaker.
Personal Life
Regina King married Ian Alexander in 1997.
The couple later divorced in 2007.
King has generally maintained a relatively private personal life despite spending much of her career in the public eye.
Regina King Real Estate
Real estate has also formed part of King’s financial portfolio.
In July 2020, she reportedly paid $4.5 million for a home in the Beachwood Canyon area of Los Angeles.
The property added to her real estate holdings as her Hollywood career continued to grow.
Author: Andrew Walyaula
Andrew Walyaula is a seasoned multimedia journalist. Email: [email protected]
