Critically and consistently acclaimed actress Regina King has been building a loyal fan base since she was first introduced to the public as a child in the mid-1980s in the long-running sitcom “227,” starring Marla Gibbs, Hal Williams and Jackée Harry. The show ran from 1985 to 1990.
Since that time King has worked in an array of popular films, each one completely different from the last. She has been widely praised for her versatility as well as her formidable acting skills.
Those films include, in chronological order, “Boyz N the Hood,” “Poetic Justice,” “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate,” “Jerry Maguire,” “Enemy of the State,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” “Ray” (for which she won an NAACP Image Award as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture), “Miss Congeniality 2” and “This Christmas.”
King is currently part of the ensemble cast of “Southland,” a police drama airing on TNT.
Following is a Q&A conducted by Kam Williams, whose work is featured in the Michigan Chronicle periodically and often in many other publications nationwide. — Steve Holsey
By Kam Williams
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Kam Williams: Hi, Regina, thanks for the time.
Regina King: Oh, thanks for making the time.
Williams: What interested you in “Southland”?
King: Well, I was already a fan of (writer/producer) Ann Biderman’s work, and when I read the script, I really got excited about the prospect of playing a woman who was complex, not just a one-dimensional character defined by her children or her husband.
What makes Lydia Adams interesting isn’t her children or her husband, but the fact that she’s successful and driven and has a full range of emotions, which is indicative of most women between the ages of 35 and 45. So, I thought it would be cool to represent the sort of women that I know.
Williams: Do you see Lydia as reflective of a recent trend towards stronger female characters on cop dramas?
King: Yes, but the beautiful thing about actresses is that each of us can put a different spin on that type of woman.
Williams: The series just moved from NBC to TNT. Is that shift going to affect the content or the show’s fairly graphic tone?
King: No, I don’t think the show will necessarily be changing. But there might be fewer conversations back and forth between the network and the producers about toning it down, because TNT understood the nature of the show they picked up.
Williams: Watching the second season’s premiere episode, I was surprised how realistic the story line was, revolving around the Latino versus Black gang wars in L.A.
King: All of our stories are based on real stories, actual events which have made the news in the city.
Williams: To what do you credit your enduring career, from “227” to “Southland”?
King: I have to give a lot of credit to my mom, who decided to send me to a regular public high school where I ran track and went to football games. So, I got to do the normal things that kids do.
Williams: I noticed that some classmates from your graduating class have also fared well in showbiz.
King: Yeah, (director) Tim Story, (jazz pianist) Eric Reed…There are definitely some of us out there.
Williams: How have you managed to stay so busy?
King: Oh, I don’t know. (Chuckles) Luck, I guess. And by always being prepared, so that when an opportunity comes along, I can take it. I think that’s the short answer.
Williams: You’ve played the leading lady opposite a lot of great actors. Which one was your favorite screen husband or lover?
King: I can’t say. Each one had something that made them appealing. Chris Rock was awesome to talk to and funny at the same time. Eddie Murphy was surprisingly different, in a good way, from what I had anticipated.
With Will Smith, it was very refreshing to be around someone who’s so excited about what he does. I’m sure that if he worked for the Sanitation Department, he’d be enthusiastic about how he throws out the trash. He fully commits to whatever he’s doing.
And Jamie Foxx was like a walking TV, entertaining all the time.
Williams: Is there any question no one ever asks you that you wish someone would?
King: I don’t think so.
Williams: I have a question from Laz Alonso, another one of your romantic co-stars. How can your fans help you?
King: By going to TNT.com and leaving a message about how much they like the show, if they do genuinely enjoy it. And by going to Facebook and Twitter and telling all their friends to watch the show. That would be very helpful.
Williams: Are you ever afraid?
King: Of course I am. Most of us are. Those who say they aren’t are lying.
Williams: Are you happy?
King: Yes, I’m very happy! I’m healthy. I’ve got a healthy, wonderful, 13-year-old son who’s a good person. I’m happy!
Williams: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?
King: I’d say my son who is such a sweet person. He’s very polite. He opens doors for women. He removes his hat in restaurants, indoors in general, and whenever he’s introduced to a woman. So I must be doing something right.
Williams: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
King: I see somebody that’s happy.
Williams: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
King: Maybe about three hours ago, on a plane. I have one of those every day.
Williams: What are you listening to on your iPod?
King: Gosh, what’s the last thing I downloaded? I really like Q-Tip’s album, “The Renaissance,” and I’m still listening to Adele. And I’m a huge Maxwell fan. And on the plane, I was listening to Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue.”
Williams: What is your favorite dish to cook?
King: That’s a good question because I cook a lot. I had two couples over before Christmas for a dinner party where I made seafood lasagna, butternut squash soup and a walnut-pear-endive salad. And I made some caramel pecan ice cream for dessert.
Williams: What was the last book you read?
King: Carrie Fisher’s memoir, “Wishful Drinking.”
Williams: What is your earliest childhood memory?
King: I guess opening Christmas presents, when my parents were still together.
Williams: How do you want to be remembered?
King: As a woman who tried her hardest and her best at everything she did.
Williams: W
ell, thanks again and best of luck with “Southland” on TNT.
King: Thanks.