A private advance viewing party for the cop drama “Southland,” accomplished two things on a frigid January evening in downtown Atlanta. For starters, it allowed TNT an opportunity to publicly bask in the glow of their acquisition of the critically acclaimed show from NBC. Secondly, it brought the show’s star and ro favorite Regina King to town, which gave us an opportunity to discuss this exciting new beginning for “Southland.” Here’s an excerpt from our time with King. –dewayne rogers
You seem sincerely excited about ‘Southland’ getting a second chance on TNT.
I am. I really believe in this show, and so does everyone else who works on it. The marketing budget and some other things weren’t in place the first time around, so we didn’t really have a fair chance to succeed. But TNT is a great network, and we’re happy to have a home here.
What were your thoughts when NBC cancelled the show?
Well, they say that when one door closes another one opens, and I guess that same saying can apply to this situation. In many ways, I feel like we dodged a bullet by not being over there at NBC anymore. We have a home with TNT that we are very happy with. They understand the hour-long drama, and they understand the importance of strong female characters.
You’ve been able to display great acting range with roles like ‘Southland’ and ‘The Boondocks.’ Does the array of your choices help keep you energized as an actor?
It’s interesting that you say that, because some people don’t see it that way. I sometimes get people saying that I only play one kind of person, and I’ve never understood that. Over my career, I tried to keep things diverse, but the only constant is that I always play strong women. I’ve done my research, and I haven’t found one woman, regardless of age or race, that doesn’t like watching another strong woman on camera. I think TNT understands that, and you see it with their strong female leads like Kyra Sedgwick and Jada Pinkett Smith.
How do you get yourself motivated and going at the start of each day?
Well, it starts with my son. Every day I have to be a great example for him. That is the first thing on my mind. I want him to grow up and be better than I am. I think that’s what every child should strive for. It’s what pushed my sister and I, and I think we turned out OK. In turn, I want the same for my son. After that, I just ask the universe to teach me something new. I never want to stop learning, and I will never feel like I have all of the answers.
Stay tuned for the entire video interview with Regina King.
