19 Great Performances by Women Playing Love Interests

Regina King and Cuba Gooding, Jr., in Jerry Maguire (1996), screenshot courtesy of TriStar Pictures

13. Regina King (Jerry Maguire)

The role: Marcee Tidwell is the wife of Cuba Gooding Jr.’s brash wide receiver, Rod. She fights to get him the deal she believes he deserves.

Why she’s great: Cameron Crowe’s alternately lauded and derided rom-com is as full of terrific acting as it is of optimism. Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding, Jr. turn in career-best work, receiving Oscar nominations (and, in the latter’s case, a win) for their efforts, while Renee Zellweger blossoms into a star before our eyes. Regina King is less recognized, but no less captivating. In a handful of lines and scenes, she demolishes the “angry black woman” stereotype and creates a vivid, multifaceted human being, equally adept at castigation (“Jerry, this is humiliating, and I’m pregnant, and I’m incapable of bulls—”) and encouragement (“We determine our worth”). Her frankness and warmth anchor a movie that might otherwise drown in sentimentality.

Standout moment: Marcee tries to dissuade Rod from settling for a low contract by boosting his self-esteem and reminding him what matters. Even though it’s our first time seeing them interact, we buy their mutual devotion, largely due to King’s steady gaze and heartfelt, unembellished line delivery. Her speech is quiet compared to Cruise’s infamous “you complete me” declaration, but it’s rousing nonetheless.