The Awardist Oscars Regina King on the heart behind her Oscar-nominated role By Ruth Kinane Ruth Kinane Ruth is a correspondent who covers TV shows such as Younger, Jersey Shore and The Affair. She will write you a drinking game for any show you want and will remain loyal to Britney Spears no matter how many fashion shows she posts on Instagram. EW's editorial guidelines Published on January 22, 2019 09:52AM EST On Feb. 24, winners will be crowned at the 91st Academy Awards. But before the red carpet is rolled out and envelopes are opened, Entertainment Weekly has inside intel on the 2019 nominees. Keep checking back at EW.com this week for spotlights on contenders in all the major categories. Starring in: If Beale Street Could TalkAge: 48Oscar Past: 0 nominations, 0 winsRole Call: Sharon Rivers, the devoted matriarch ready to do anything to save her daughter’s lover from his unjust fate. For Regina King, it was always all about the love. “What resonated most for me about the character and the story itself is the love this woman has for her family and the love the family has for each other,” she explains of her role in Barry Jenkins’ adaptation of James Baldwin’s 1974 novel If Beale Street Could Talk. King’s portrayal of Sharon Rivers, a mother intent on freeing her daughter’s soul mate from wrongful imprisonment, is both vulnerable and powerful at once. The Golden Globe winner credits her director for anticipating the chemistry between the actors, thereby creating a family on set and on screen. “He knew we would all come to the table with an understanding of the responsibility that we had,” says King. “As black Americans, we know this family, but art doesn’t reflect that as often as we’d like. I’m grateful for the opportunity to play a woman that embodies the things I love about my mother and my grandmother.” Related content: If Beale Street Could Talk trailer unveils Moonlight director’s James Baldwin film Barry Jenkins on If Beale Street Could Talk: ‘Ultimately the film is hopeful’ Barry Jenkins on how If Beale Street Could Talk resonates today