The 17 Best Regina King Movies of All Time (2024)

Release Date: December 25, 2020

Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, and Leslie Odom Jr.

King's Role: You won't see King on screen in One Night in Miami, but her influence is in every scene. The historical film is King's directorial debut (and it earned her a Golden Globe nom).

The movie envisions a fictional meeting between four luminaries from the 1960s—Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brow—all facing personal crossroads.

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Release Date: December 25, 2018

Starring: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Colman Domingo, Brian Tyree Henry, Dave Franco, and Teyonah Parris

King's Role: Sharon Rivers, an unwavering mother who loves both her daughter Tish (Layne) and her daughter's partner, Fonny (James).

In this epic love story, based on James Baldwin's 1974 novel of the same name, Sharon goes to great lengths to prove Fonny's innocence when he's falsely accused of rape. King's dramatic portrayal earned her a 2019 Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

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Release Date: February 1, 2014

Starring: Imani Hakim, Sydney Mikayla, and Brian Tee

King's Role: Natalie Hawkins, the divorced mother of three-time Olympic gold medalist and gymnast Gabby Douglas.

The Lifetime network movie traces the story of Douglas's journey to the 2012 Olympics. It also sheds light on the sacrifices Hawkins made for her daughter's athletic career and for her other three children.

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Release Date: March 12, 2010

Starring: Forest Whitaker, America Ferrera, Carlos Mencia, Lance Gross, and Diana Maria Riva

King's Role: Angela, attorney and friend of the Boyd family.

In this multicultural comedy, a young couple, Lucia Rumirez (Ferrera) and Marcus Boyd (Gross), are getting married. But they have to convince their respective fathers (Whitaker and Mencia) to get over their longstanding feud before they say "I do." Angela is the level-headed one, serving as the voice of reason among the bickering families.

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Release Date: November 21, 2007

Starring: Delroy Lindo, Idris Elba, Loretta Devine, Chris Brown, Keith Robinson, Laz Alonso, Columbus Short, Sharon Leal, and Lauren London

King's Role: Lisa Moore, a wife and mother who confronts her husband's (Alonso) infidelity during a holiday reunion.

Though the bloated film features a talented ensemble cast, King's character, Lisa, is the most impressive of the Whitfield family. Partly because she transforms from a weak-willed woman who gains the strength to teach her philandering hubby a lesson with baby oil.

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Release Date: March 24, 2005

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Enrique Murciano, William Shatner, and Heather Burns

King's Role: Sam Fuller, an undercover FBI agent and personal bodyguard with serious anger issues.

Sam and Bullock's character, Gracie Hart, team up in this buddy-cop flick to rescue a Miss U.S.A. pageant winner (Burns) and the pageant host (Shatner) in Las Vegas. King rises to the comedic occasion, including dressing as Tina Turner, to take down the kidnappers.

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Release Date: October 29, 2004

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Clifton Powell, Bokeem Woodbine, and Aunjanue Ellis

King's Role: Marjorie "Margie" Hendricks (also referred to as Hendrix), an R&B; singer who sung backup for legendary pianist and music artist Ray Charles (Foxx).

In the award-winning biopic, music fans learn through King's fierce portrayal of Margie that she didn't just sing background for Charles. She was also the blind musician's mistress and rumored muse for his songs.

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Release Date: July 16, 2004

Starring: Hilary Duff, Jennifer Coolidge, Chad Michael Murray, and Dan Byrd

King's Role: Rhonda, the head waitress at a local Los Angeles diner and Sam's (Duff) moral support.

A modern-day twist on Disney's animated fairy tale, Cinderella, King takes on the role of Sam's fairy godmother. However, she does it with a lot more grit and sass than any pumpkin carriage and "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" ditty could live up to.

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Release Date: July 2, 2003

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Sally Field, Jennifer Coolidge, and Luke Wilson

King's Role: Grace Rossiter, the top aide for Congresswoman Victoria Rudd (Field).

The sequel to 2001's Legally Blonde sees Elle Woods (Witherspoon) heading to Washington to pass legislation banning animal testing. She faces opposition from the cold-hearted Grace, who writes her off as a ditzy, dumb blonde. Grace eventually comes around, just like many of Woods's detractors did in the first film. But King is the perfect foil to Witherspoon's bubbly Elle.

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Release Date: May 9, 2003

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin, Khamani Griffin, Steve Zahn, and Kevin Nealon

King's Role: Kim Hinton, lawyer and wife of Charles "Charlie" Hinton (Murphy).

After Charlie is laid off from his marketing job, he spends his time taking care of his young son Ben (Griffin). While on babysitting duty, he gets the idea to open up his own children's day care, branded as "Daddy Day Care." King is a minor character in the comedy, but she does a lot with a little as the breadwinner of the Hinton family.

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Release Date: November 20, 1998

Starring: Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, and Lisa Bonet

King's Role: Carla Dean, wife of Robert Clayton Dean (Smith).

Big Brother is always watching, or, at least, that's what this action thriller wants its audience to believe when a D.C. lawyer (Smith) uncovers information about the government spying on everyday Americans. King's brief appearance as the dutiful wife is meant to serve as a reminder of all that's at stake for Smith's character, Robert.

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Release Date: August 14, 1998

Starring: Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg, Michael J. Pagan, and Suzzanne Douglas

King's Role: Vanessa, a postal worker who always shoots it straight with her sister, Stella Payne (Bassett).

Bassett plays the 40-something stockbroker Stella who has a fling with a younger man named Winston Shakespeare (Diggs) while on vacation in Jamaica. King stands in as the funny and loyal sister who presses Stella for all the scandalous details from her trip and encourages her to follow her heart. King has a small part, but she commands every scene she's in.

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Release Date: December 13, 1996

Starring: Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renee Zellweger, Kelly Preston, and Jerry O'Connell

King's Role: Marcee Tidwell, the hilarious and loving wife of Rod Tidwell (Gooding Jr.).

Okay, King isn't responsible for delivering some of the film's most iconic lines, like "show me the money." But she still plays a critical part as Rod's biggest cheerleader on his way to the top as a wide receiver for a fictional sports team. This is the second film Gooding Jr. and King have been featured in, with the first being Boyz 'n the Hood.

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Release Date: April 26, 1995

Starring: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, John Witherspoon, and Tommy "Tiny" Lister

King's Role: Dana Jones, the no-nonsense sister of Craig Jones (Ice Cube).

Craig gets fired on his day off. That's the focal point of this '90s film. Everything else is just comedic fodder, including the trouble Craig gets into with his neighborhood friend, Smokey (Tucker). As with most of her earlier work, King isn't offered much screen time in Friday. She merely exists as #hairgoals and to antagonize her brother, and that's perfectly fine.

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Release Date: April 3, 1996

Starring: Martin Lawrence, Lynn Whitfield, Bobby Brown, Della Reese, and Malinda Williams

King's Role: Mia, an Air Force veteran and longtime friend of ladies' man Darnell Wright (Lawrence).

The '90s dramedy brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." King's character Mia finds herself caught in a deadly love triangle with Darnell and Brandi, the woman who becomes obsessed with him after a one-night stand gone wrong.

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Release Date: July 23, 1993

Starring: Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Joe Torry, and Maya Angelou

King's Role: Iesha, a stubborn young woman who goes on a road trip with her hairdresser and best friend Justice (Jackson) as well as her self-absorbed boyfriend Chicago (Torry).

This gritty romantic drama boasts Maya Angelou's famous poems and follows the story of a pained poet (Jackson) who falls in love with a post office worker and aspiring rap artist (Shakur) while traveling to Oakland in a mail truck. King is flawless as she tackles her alcoholic demons and relationship problems.

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Release Date: July 12, 1991

Starring: Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, and Ice Cube

King's Role: Shalika, an around-the-way girl who's not afraid to state her opinion.

The urban coming-of-age flick marked King's first debut on the big screen. Though she plays a minor role in the John Singleton-directed film, the few one-liners she utters in Doughboy's (Ice Cube) car and in the neighborhood barbecue scene clearly left a lasting impression—it was this movie that jumpstarted her career.

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