King first gained attention for her role as Brenda Jenkins in the television series "227" from 1985 to 1990. Notable roles followed in the films "Friday" (1995) and "Jerry Maguire" (1996), and the crime television series "Southland" (2009–2013). From 2015 to 2017, King starred in the ABC anthology series "American Crime", for which she won two Primetime Emmy Awards, and in 2018, she starred in the Netflix miniseries "Seven Seconds", for which she won her third Emmy Award. Her role as a troubled mother in the 2018 film "If Beale Street Could Talk" won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. King won her fourth Emmy Award for starring in the 2019 superhero television series "Watchmen."