King's feature film directorial debut came with the drama One Night in Miami... (2020), which earned her a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Director.

[5] She is the elder daughter of Gloria Jean (née Cain), a special education teacher, and Thomas Henry King Jr., an electrician.

[12][14] In 1998, she was cast in Tony Scott's film Enemy of the State, receiving her first nomination at the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.

[15] In the same year, King took part in the films How Stella Got Her Groove Back,[16] Mighty Joe Young,[17] and Love and Action in Chicago.

[23][24] In 2005, King was cast in Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous[25] and began voicing the characters Huey and Riley Freeman for the animated series The Boondocks.

[26] In 2007, King played the main role of Sandra Palmer in season six of television series 24 and acted in films Year of the Dog and This Christmas.

[31][32] After taking part in Rick Famuyiwa's romantic comedy film Our Family Wedding, King appeared as guest judge in RuPaul's Drag Race.

[38] From 2015 to 2017, King began to pursue work as a director and writer,[39] initially directing six episodes of the drama series Being Mary Jane.

[41][42] In 2018, King played the mother of a murdered black teenager in the Netflix original series Seven Seconds, winning her third Primetime Emmy Award.

"[47] In his review for The Observer, Mark Kermode wrote: "As for Regina King, her brilliantly modulated performance is a masterclass in physical understatement.

One moment stands out [...] 'Mamma... ,' says Tish, tentatively, and even before she turns to face us, an almost imperceptible movement of King's neck and shoulders tells us that Sharon knows exactly what her daughter is about to say.

In an IndieWire review for the series, Ben Travers wrote: "King is nothing short of amazing — yes, she's got an Oscar and three Emmys, but she puts even more range on display in a turn that effortlessly pivots between invulnerable and vulnerable.

[59] She will serve as an executive producer and direct the David E. Kelley–written television series A Man in Full for Netflix, based on the Tom Wolfe novel of the same name.