Regina King, a celebrated actress with over four decades of experience, has honed her approach to playing detectives by immersing herself in real-life law enforcement experiences. For Darren Aronofsky’s crime drama Caught Stealing, King prepared extensively by interviewing seasoned officers and participating in ride-alongs to capture the authentic essence of police work.
In the film, King portrays Detective Elise Roman, a Harlem native leading an intense investigation into Hank, played by Austin Butler. The storyline is set against New York’s Lower East Side as the world approached the year 2000. To deepen her portrayal, King connected with NYPD veteran Jackie Brown, who helped her shape the character’s background and attitude.
Building Detective Elise Roman’s Character with Real-Life Insights
During a dinner conversation, King described the invaluable advice she received from Jackie Brown.
“She helped me root the character in something that was real and helped me to create a backstory,”
King revealed.
“Based on what her story was, I could determine what Elise’s story wasn’t.”
This grounding in real experience allowed King to craft a nuanced detective driven partly by hardship.
King explained,
“I could pull from Jackie’s actual experience of dealing with the sexism in the police force — especially at that time — and how that could harden you in some way. Luckily, it didn’t harden her, but I chose that it hardened Elise.”
This perspective influenced Elise’s tough demeanor, especially during scenes where she interrogates Hank, balancing empathy and authority.
The Dynamic Between Detective Elise and Hank
The tension between King’s Elise Roman and Butler’s Hank energizes the film’s gripping moments. As Elise questions Hank about his entanglement with dangerous gangsters, King employed insights learned from prior roles and officers she shadowed to bring realism to their interactions. Her character switches tactics fluidly, sometimes warm and relatable, then suddenly cold and intense, seeking to break through Hank’s defenses.
King shared her perspective on their on-screen chemistry, laughing as she recalled,
“Hank seems like a really sweet guy, so that is what Austin and Hank have in common. But I, as Elise, felt like, ‘Come on dude, you can’t be that dumb,’ So I was leaning into that, and he was probably, for Hank, leaning into just being that dumb. The people that we were playing being polar opposites lent itself to great tension between us in a conversation.”
Exploring Shared Grief Between Regina King and Austin Butler
Beyond the thriller’s chaotic plot of gang rivalries and betrayals, at its core the story revolves around a son’s fierce love for his mother. This emotional thread resonated deeply with both King and Butler, who have faced profound personal losses. King’s son, Ian Alexander Jr., passed away in 2022, marking Caught Stealing as one of her first films since that tragedy. Butler also experienced the loss of his mother, Lori Butler, which fostered an unspoken connection between the actors.
King recounted how their shared grief created a unique bond:
“I did not know that Austin had lost his mother, so he told me maybe within 15 to 20 minutes of us meeting each other. That just immediately made us have this understanding and sometimes an unspoken moment where he could see that I was being … You just don’t know when that sadness is going to come over you, and I think we were just always very sensitive to that.”
She added,
“He’s playing his love for his mother, not having his mother with him, so I was sensitive to that. Like me and Ian, he and his mother are best friends, so I really was grateful to have someone that I had so many scenes with understand the depth of the grief that you carry forever.”
Director Darren Aronofsky’s Vision and Influence on Key Scenes
During filming, Aronofsky requested a second take of a significant scene between King and Butler. King recounted the director’s direction:
“Darren says, ‘OK, let’s do it again. But can you give it to him from a more motherly place?’”
She declined to reveal details to avoid spoiling the plot but expressed pride that this was the take ultimately used in the film.
Honoring Ian Alexander Jr. Through a New Venture
As Caught Stealing approaches its theatrical release, King has also embarked on a personal project: launching a wine label called MianU, which is pronounced “me and you.” Inspired by her late son’s introduction to orange wines, the brand celebrates his memory. The initial batch of wine sold out quickly online and is now available in limited quantities across California, including King’s hometown of Los Angeles.
Reflecting on the response, King said,
“It’s been overwhelming — in a great way. My intention is for people to get a bit of understanding of how much joy Ian brings to any space that he’s been in, and how much his spirit continues to do that. I love that people are receiving it the way it was intended.”
The Importance of Shared Understanding in Times of Grief
The deep empathy between King and Butler highlights how personal loss can shape artistic collaboration. Their shared experience of mourning lends a layer of authenticity to their performances, enriching the film’s emotional power and underscoring the human connections that persist amid hardship.
As Caught Stealing debuts, audiences can expect not only a gripping crime drama but also performances grounded in real emotions, shaped by the life experiences of King and Butler, supported by the vision of Darren Aronofsky and enriched by authentic police insights.
