She literally charmed herself onto your screen when she was just a pre-teen on the hit show "227." Now, Regina King is more than grown-up--she's working in front and behind the scenes with and as Hollywood's A-List.
As she celebrates being 50, she also has released her film last year, "One Night in Miami" which tells the story of how four legends: Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cook and Jim Brown, got together several hours after the boxer won his first World Heavyweight Championship.
Recently, she teamed up with Hollywood heavyweight Idris Elba and others for the critically-acclaimed western film, "The Harder They Fall."
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"Depending on who you talk to or what book you read, a lot of this history has been revised, omitted or just ignored. But, even if you look at my other work — in “American Crime” or “Seven Seconds” — these are the projects that God has blessed me with and that I want to be part of telling. I don’t really classify myself as a great speaker or a Dr. King, no pun intended, but I do feel like there are things that I’m consciously and subconsciously attracted to that have allowed me to use my art to speak truth to power."
Her last critically-acclaimed series, HBO's "Watchmen” also represents the latest and perhaps most prominent milestone in King’s triumphant career, to the point that her performance has been singled out as one of the keys to the series’ success.
“I’m just loving life, living life day by day,” King told the LA Times. “I really have not sat back to think about what the last 10, 15 years have been like. I live more in the moment. It’s like anyone’s trajectory in life. I’m working to obtain certain goals and make choices based on the current situation.”
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And even though you see her glow on the red carpet, it's just hard not to notice how well-toned and fit she really is.
Last year, she was on the red carpet when she won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture for highly-acclaimed film, If Beale Street Could Talk. Her son, Ian Alexander Jr., witnessing his mother win this much-deserved award was extra special, as he’d told her that If Beale Street Could Talk was “the first time [he] saw [himself] onscreen.” King also vowed to produce films with 50% women, which was a major statement.
Taking a look at her Golden Globes dress, it was stunning. But according to King, she's no gym rat. Workouts have to be fun for the actor and director.
The actress is lean and athletic and makes exercise and healthy eating a priority.
But despite her healthy lifestyle, King hasn’t been able to out run her family history of heart disease. Her older sister, Lavelle, died of a heart attack within the last 10 years.
“My parents and grandparents had high blood pressure, and my grandma had triple-bypass surgery,” she says. “My sisters, who weren’t as active as I’ve always been, were diagnosed with high blood pressure years before.”
King's diagnosis came in her 20s, so she knew early in her life that she needed to take action. She was officially diagnosed with hypertension.
Rather than starting medication, she asked her doctor if she could first try to lower my blood pressure naturally. Since she's always been athletic, she began to run track--and that kept her blood pressure in check. So as soon as she was diagnosed with hypertension, she stepped up my workouts.
"I’ve always been athletic," explains King to LifeScript. "I ran track in high school – and it kept my blood pressure in check over the years. Once I was diagnosed with hypertension, I stepped up my workouts."
"I also started drinking a blend of acai berry juice, Coenzyme Q10 [a natural blood thinner and antioxidant] and vitamin C every morning."
"The combination worked, and my blood pressure returned to normal range."
In conjunction with working out, she also started drinking a blend of acai berry juice, Coenzyme Q10 [a natural blood thinner and antioxidant] and vitamin C every morning.
She routinely carries exercise equipment in her car and hits the gym as often as possible, usually 3-4 times a week. She also has a lifting weights or taking a kickboxing class. I do an annual detox for two weeks, eliminating sugar, processed foods and simple carbs from my diet. I usually lose 7-10 pounds and look at it as my yearly renewal.
As far as what she likes to do on her birthday? That's simple.
"Grateful to have lived another year! I always make time for … a family member or friend who needs an ear. They do the same for me."
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