Regina King is one of the most acclaimed and versatile actors in Hollywood. She has won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and four Emmys for her performances in films and TV shows such as Ray, The Harder They Fall, and Watchmen. But is she also related to one of the most influential civil rights leaders in history, Martin Luther King Jr.? This article will explore the truth behind this rumor and reveal who Regina King is related to.
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Regina King’s Family Background
According to Wikipedia, Regina King was born in Los Angeles, California, on January 15, 1971. She is the elder daughter of Gloria Jean (nee Cain), a special education teacher, and Thomas Henry King Jr., an electrician. Her parents divorced in 1979. She has a younger sister, Reina King, who is also a former actress.
Regina King attended Westchester High School and later studied Communications at the University of Southern California. She dropped out after two years to pursue her acting career.
Regina King’s Acting Career
Regina King began her acting career in 1985, playing the role of Brenda Jenkins on the television series 227. She played this role until the show ended in 1990. She then appeared in several films, such as Boyz n the Hood (1991), Poetic Justice (1993), Jerry Maguire (1996), and How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998).
She also voiced characters in animated series such as The Boondocks (2005-2014) and The Lion Guard (2016-2019). She starred in the crime drama series Southland (2009-2013) and had recurring roles in The Leftovers (2015-2017) and The Big Bang Theory (2013-2019).
She received critical acclaim for her roles in the ABC anthology series American Crime (2015-2017), the Netflix miniseries Seven Seconds (2018), and the HBO limited series Watchmen (2019). For these roles, she won four Primetime Emmy Awards.
She also won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Barry Jenkins’s film adaptation of the James Baldwin novel If Beale Street Could Talk (2018).
She made her feature film directorial debut with One Night in Miami… (2020), which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director. She became the second black woman to be nominated for this award.
She has since starred in the western The Harder They Fall (2021), which premiered on Netflix.
Is Regina King Related to Martin Luther King Jr.?
There is no evidence that Regina King is related to Martin Luther King Jr. According to Ghanafuo.com, Regina King’s relationship with Martin Luther King could not be verified because no information about her being related to him could be found.
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of Martin Luther King Sr., a Baptist minister, and Alberta Williams King, a schoolteacher. He had an older sister, Willie Christine King, and a younger brother, Alfred Daniel Williams King.
According to the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute, Martin Luther King Jr.’s family history can be traced back to his maternal great-grandfather, Willis Williams, who was born in 1810 and was an “old slavery time preacher”. He married Lucrecia Daniel, who bore him five children, including Adam Daniel Williams, Martin Luther King Jr.’s grandfather.
Adam Daniel Williams married Jennie Celeste Parks in 1899 and had one surviving child, Alberta Christine Williams, Martin Luther King Jr.’s mother. Alberta Christine Williams married Martin Luther King Sr. in 1926 and had three children: Martin Luther King Jr., Willie Christine King, and Alfred Daniel Williams King.
Martin Luther King Jr. married Coretta Scott in 1953 and had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King, and Bernice Albertine King.
Conclusion
Regina King is not related to Martin Luther King Jr. They share the same birthday (January 15) but have different family backgrounds. Regina King is the daughter of Gloria Jean Cain and Thomas Henry King Jr., while Martin Luther King Jr. is the son of Alberta Williams King and Martin Luther King Sr.
Regina King is related to her sister Reina King, who is also an actress. She was married to Ian Alexander from 1997 to 2007 and has one son with him: Ian Alexander Jr.
Regina King is a talented actress and director who has won many awards for her work. She is one of the most influential people in the world according to Time magazine. She is not related to Martin Luther King Jr., but she is inspired by his legacy of fighting for justice and equality..
