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Cuba Gooding Jr.

Acting

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Cuba Gooding Jr. is an actor born on January 2, 1968 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He is known for American Gangster, As Good as It Gets and Jerry Maguire. GloboWatch shows where to watch one of his movies and TV shows, country by country.

Known for
Acting
Born
January 2, 1968
Place of birth
The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA
Also known as
Cuba Mark Gooding Jr.

Biography

Cuba Mark Gooding Jr. (born January 2, 1968) is an American actor. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Emmy nomination. He was born in Bronx, New York to Shirley, a singer with the Sweethearts, and Cuba Gooding, Sr., a lead vocalist of soul group The Main Ingredient. He has two brothers, musician Tommy Gooding and fellow actor Omar Gooding, and sister, April Gooding. His family moved to Los Angeles after Gooding Sr.'s music group had a hit single with "Everybody Plays the Fool" in 1972 but abandoned his family two years later. Gooding Jr. was raised by his mother and attended four different high schools: North Hollywood High School, Tustin High School, Apple Valley High School, and John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills in Los Angeles. He served as class president in three of them. His first job as a professional entertainer was as a break-dancer performing with singer Lionel Richie at the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. After high school, Gooding studied Japanese martial arts for three years, before turning his focus toward acting. Early on, he landed guest starring roles on shows like Hill Street Blues (1981) and MacGyver (1985). His first major role was in the John Singleton's box office surprise and critical hit Boyz n the Hood (1991). He followed this success with roles in major films like A Few Good Men (1992), Lightning Jack (1994), Outbreak (1995), Men of Honor (2000), Rat Race (2001), and The Fighting Temptations (2003) in which he co-starred alongside Beyoncé Knowles. In 1996, he was cast as an arrogant football player on the brink of a career-ending injury in Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire (1996). The film was a success and earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. His "Show Me The Money" line in the film became a nationwide catchphrase. In 1997, he had a notable supporting role in As Good As It Gets (1997). The next several years, his films were inconsistently successful; Boat Trip (2002), Norbit (2007), and Daddy Day Camp (2007), all of which had received extremely negative reviews and performed poorly at the box office. Gooding also starred in a film titled A Murder of Crows, which he co-produced with his long time friend and business partner Derek Broes. The film was Gooding's first attempt at producing. Since then, he has had series of starring roles in grittier films released direct-to-DVD such as the revenge dramas Hero Wanted and Wrong Turn at Tahoe, as well as the sci-fi action pic Hardwired and the action comedy Lies & Illusions. A well-received performance as Ben Carson in Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (2009) and a small supporting role in Ridley Scott's American Gangster (2007) both proved to be exceptions to this trend. An appearance in the World War II film, Red Tails, produced by George Lucas and with other prominent actors such as Terrence Howard, will mark his only return to the big screen since American Gangster.

Filmography

  1. 2025A Line of Fireas Javier Cardona
  2. 2024Angels Fallen: Warriors of Peaceas Balthazar
  3. 2020Life in a Yearas Xavier
  4. 2016American Crime Storyas O. J. Simpson · 10 episodes
  5. 2015Empireas Puma · 1 episode
  6. 2014Selmaas Fred Gray
  7. 2013Machete Killsas El Camaleón 2
  8. 2013Don Jonas Hollywood Actor #2
  9. 2013The Butleras Carter Wilson
  10. 2013Life of a Kingas Eugene Brown
  11. 2013Absolute Deceptionas John Nelson
  12. 2012One in the Chamberas Ray Carver
  13. 2012Red Tailsas Major Emanuelle Stance
  14. 2011American Horror Storyas Dominic Banks · 10 episodes
  15. 2011Sacrificeas John Hebron
  16. 2011The Hit Listas Jonas Arbor
  17. 2011Ticking Clockas Lewis Hicks
  18. 2009Wrong Turn at Tahoeas Joshua
  19. 2009Hardwiredas Luke Gibson
  20. 2009Lies & Illusionsas Isaac
  21. 2009The Devil's Tombas Mack
  22. 2009Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Storyas Ben Carson
  23. 2008Hero Wantedas Liam Case
  24. 2007The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friendsas Loofah (voice)
  25. 2007American Gangsteras Nicky Barnes
  26. 2007Daddy Day Campas Charlie Hinton
  27. 2007Norbitas Deion Hughes
  28. 2006End Gameas Agent Alex Thomas
  29. 2005Dirtyas Salim Adel
  30. 2005Shadowboxeras Mikey
  31. 2004Home on the Rangeas Buck (voice)
  32. 2003Radioas Radio
  33. 2003The Fighting Temptationsas Darrin Hill
  34. 2002Boat Tripas Jerry Robinson
  35. 2002Snow Dogsas Ted Brooks
  36. 2001Zoolanderas Cuba Gooding Jr.
  37. 2001Rat Raceas Owen Templeton
  38. 2001Pearl Harboras Dorie Miller
  39. 2000Men of Honoras Senior Chief Carl Brashear
  40. 1999Chill Factoras Arlo
  41. 1999A Murder of Crowsas Lawson Russell · Producer
  42. 1999Instinctas Dr. Theo Caulder
  43. 1998What Dreams May Comeas Albert Lewis
  44. 1997As Good as It Getsas Frank Sachs
  45. 1996Jerry Maguireas Rod Tidwell
  46. 1995MADtvas Self · 1 episode
  47. 1995The Tuskegee Airmenas Billy Roberts
  48. 1995Losing Isaiahas Eddie Hughes
  49. 1995Outbreakas Major Salt
  50. 1994Blown Awayas Bomb Squad Class Member
  51. 1994Lightning Jackas Ben Doyle
  52. 1993Judgment Nightas Mike Peterson
  53. 1992A Few Good Menas Cpl. Carl Hammaker
  54. 1992Gladiatoras Abraham Lincoln Haines
  55. 1991Boyz n the Hoodas Tré Styles
  56. 1988Coming to Americaas Boy Getting Haircut
  57. 1985MacGyveras Billy Colton · 3 episodes
  58. 1981Hill Street Blues1 episode
  59. 1969Sesame Street1 episode
  60. 1953The Oscarsas Self · 3 episodes