Cuba Gooding Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cuba Gooding Jr.
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![]() Gooding in 2022
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Born |
Cuba Mark Gooding Jr.
January 2, 1968 |
Education | Apple Valley High School |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1984–present |
Spouse(s) |
Sara Kapfer
(m. 1994; div. 2017) |
Children | 3, including Mason Gooding |
Parent(s) | Cuba Gooding Sr. Shirley Sullivan |
Relatives | Omar Gooding (brother) |
Awards | Full list |
Cuba Mark Gooding Jr. (born January 2, 1968) is an American actor. He has won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. He was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
Gooding became famous after starring in the movie Boyz n the Hood (1991). He then appeared in films like A Few Good Men (1992) and Jerry Maguire (1996). For his role as a football star in Jerry Maguire, he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also starred in Men of Honor (2000), Pearl Harbor (2001), and Radio (2003). He also lent his voice to animated movies like Home on the Range (2004).
Later, Gooding worked with producer Ryan Murphy on TV shows like The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story and American Horror Story: Roanoke (both in 2016). He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for playing O. J. Simpson. Gooding also performed on Broadway in the play The Trip to Bountiful (2013) and the musical Chicago (2018).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Cuba Gooding Jr. was born on January 2, 1968, in the Bronx, New York City. His mother, Shirley Sullivan, was a singer. His father, Cuba Gooding Sr., was the lead singer of the soul group The Main Ingredient. Cuba has three siblings: April, Omar, and Thomas.
His family moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Two years later, his father left the family. Gooding was raised by his mother. He attended four different high schools in Los Angeles. He was a leader, serving as class president in three of them. He became a born-again Christian when he was 13 years old.
Career Highlights
Early Roles and Breakthrough
Gooding's first job in entertainment was as a breakdancer. He performed with singer Lionel Richie at the closing ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. After high school, he studied Japanese martial arts for three years. Then, he decided to focus on acting.
He got small roles on TV shows like Hill Street Blues (1987) and MacGyver. He also had a small part in the comedy Coming to America (1988).
Gooding's first big role was in John Singleton's movie Boyz n the Hood (1991). He played the main character, Tre Styles. The film was a big success and is now seen as a classic. After this, Gooding appeared in other major films. These included A Few Good Men (1992) and Outbreak (1995). He also played Billy Roberts in the TV movie The Tuskegee Airmen (1995).
In 1996, Gooding became even more famous. He played a confident football player in the movie Jerry Maguire. He starred alongside Tom Cruise. The movie was very popular. Gooding won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role. His line "Show me the money!" became a popular saying.
Becoming an Established Actor
After Jerry Maguire, Gooding had a supporting role in the comedy As Good as It Gets (1997). He also starred in What Dreams May Come (1998). In the naval drama Men of Honor (2000), he played the main role with Robert De Niro.
Gooding also appeared in the movie Pearl Harbor (2001) as Doris Miller. He was in the comedy Rat Race (2001) and the musical The Fighting Temptations (2003). He played the main character in the football drama Radio (2003). The family comedy Snow Dogs (2002) was also a commercial success. In 2002, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
He voiced Buck the Horse in the Disney animated film Home on the Range (2004). Gooding also played Ben Carson in the TV film Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (2009). He had a small role in Ridley Scott's American Gangster (2007).
Gooding's next big film role was in the 2012 World War II movie Red Tails. This film was produced by George Lucas.
Broadway Debut and TV Roles
In 2013, Gooding appeared in several movies. These included a role in Lee Daniels's The Butler. He also had brief appearances in Don Jon and Machete Kills.
He made his Broadway theatre debut in The Trip to Bountiful. He starred alongside Cicely Tyson and Vanessa Williams.
In 2014, he played Civil Rights Movement attorney Fred Gray in the historical drama Selma. He has since appeared more often in television shows. He played Samuel Fraunces in the miniseries The Book of Negroes. He also played O. J. Simpson in American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson. For this role, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2018, Gooding played Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago in London's West End.
His first movie as a director, Bayou Caviar, was released on October 5, 2018.
Personal Life
Family Life
In 1994, Gooding married his high school girlfriend, Sara Kapfer. They had three children together: Spencer, Piper, and Mason Gooding. Mason has also become an actor.
In 2014, Sara Kapfer filed for legal separation from Gooding. Gooding filed for divorce in January 2017.
Charity Work
In 2006, Gooding received an award from the American Academy of Neurology. This was for his work in raising awareness about multiple sclerosis.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Coming to America | Boy Getting Haircut | |
1989 | Sing | Stanley | |
1991 | Boyz n the Hood | Jason "Tre" Styles III | |
1992 | Gladiator | Abraham Lincoln Haines | |
Judgment | Officer Alvarez | ||
A Few Good Men | Corporal Carl Edward Hammaker | ||
1993 | Judgment Night | Mike Peterson | |
1994 | Lightning Jack | Ben Doyle | |
Blown Away | Bomb Squad Class Member | Cameo | |
1995 | Outbreak | Major Salt | |
Losing Isaiah | Eddie Hughes | ||
1996 | Jerry Maguire | Rod Tidwell | |
1997 | Trading Favors | Liquor Store Clerk | |
As Good as It Gets | Frank Sachs | ||
1998 | What Dreams May Come | Albert Lewis | |
Welcome to Hollywood | Himself | Cameo | |
A Murder of Crows | Lawson Russell | Also producer | |
1999 | Instinct | Theo Caulder | |
Chill Factor | Arlo | ||
2000 | Men of Honor | BM2 /Chief / Senior Chief Carl Brashear | |
The Kid | Wedding Guest | Uncredited cameo | |
2001 | Pearl Harbor | Petty Officer Doris Miller | |
Rat Race | Owen Templeton | ||
In the Shadows | FBI Agent Draven | ||
Zoolander | Himself | Cameo | |
2002 | Snow Dogs | Theodore "Ted" Brooks | |
Boat Trip | Jerry Robinson | ||
2003 | The Fighting Temptations | Darrin Hill | |
Radio | James Robert "Radio" Kennedy | ||
2004 | Home on the Range | Buck The Domestic Horse | Voice |
2005 | Shadowboxer | Mikey | |
Dirty | Salim Adel | ||
2006 | End Game | Alex Thomas | Direct-to-video |
2007 | Norbit | Deion Hughes | |
What Love Is | Tom | ||
Daddy Day Camp | Charlie Hinton | ||
American Gangster | Nicky Barnes | ||
The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends | Loofah The Beipiaosaurus | Voice role; direct-to-video | |
2008 | Hero Wanted | Liam Case | Direct-to-video |
Harold | Cromer | Also producer | |
Linewatch | Michael Dixon | Direct-to-video | |
2009 | The Way of War | David Wolfe | |
The Devil's Tomb | Captain Mack | ||
Lies & Illusions | Isaac | ||
Hardwired | Luke Gibson | ||
Wrong Turn at Tahoe | Joshua | ||
2011 | Ticking Clock | Lewis Hicks | |
Sacrifice | Detective John Hebron | ||
The Hit List | Jonas Arbor | ||
2012 | Red Tails | Major Emanuel Stance | |
One in the Chamber | Ray Carver | Direct-to-video | |
2013 | Don Jon | Hollywood Actor #2 | Cameo |
Absolute Deception | John Nelson | Direct-to-video | |
Life of a King | Eugene Brown | ||
The Butler | Carter Wilson | ||
Machete Kills | El Chameleón 2 | ||
2014 | Freedom | Samuel | Also executive producer |
Selma | Fred Gray | ||
2018 | Bayou Caviar | Rodney Jones | Also director and co-writer |
2020 | Life in a Year | Xavier | |
2023 | The Weapon | "Blue" | |
2024 | Skeletons in the Closet | Andres | |
Angels Fallen: Warriors of Peace | Balthazar | ||
The Firing Squad | Samuel Wilson | ||
2025 | Athena Saves Christmas | Sheriff Jacobs | In post-production |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1986 | Better Days | Bully | Episode: "Wooly Bully" |
The Dating Game | Himself / Contestant | IDK | |
1987 | Hill Street Blues | Gang member #2 / Ethan Dillon | 2 episodes |
1988 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Paul | Episode: "No Means No" |
Amen | Kenny | Episode: "Thelma's Handyman" | |
1989–1991 | MacGyver | Billy Colton | 4 episodes |
1992 | Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story | Tyree | TV film |
1993 | Daybreak | Stephen "Torch" Tolkin | |
The Untouchables | Tommy Taylor | Episode: "Betrayal in Black & Tan" | |
1995 | The Tuskegee Airmen | Billy Roberts | TV film |
1999 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | Host; episode: "Cuba Gooding Jr./Ricky Martin" |
2007 | Sesame Street | 2 episodes | |
2009 | Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story | Ben Carson | TV film |
2012 | Firelight | Dwayne Johnson (DJ) | |
Guilty | Billy Remz | Pilot | |
2013 | Summoned | Detective Callendar | TV film |
2015 | Empire | Dwayne "Puma" Robinson | Episode: "The Devil Quotes Scripture" |
The Book of Negroes | Samuel Fraunces | 2 episodes | |
Big Time in Hollywood, FL | Himself | 6 episodes | |
Forever | Isaac Monroe | 3 episodes | |
2016 | American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson | O. J. Simpson | Miniseries; 10 episodes |
American Horror Story: Roanoke | Matt Miller / Dominic Banks | 5 episodes | |
Oxford Street 24/7 | Himself | 1 episode |
Theatre
Year | Title | Role | Venue | |
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2013 | The Trip to Bountiful | Ludie Watts | Stephen Sondheim Theatre, Broadway | |
2018 | Chicago | Billy Flynn | Phoenix Theatre, West End | |
Ambassador Theatre, Broadway |
Video Game
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2002 | Quest for the Code | Cyrus | Live-action |
Awards and Nominations
Year | Association | Category | Project | Result | Ref. |
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1991 | Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | Boyz n the Hood | Nominated | |
1995 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actor in Television | The Tuskegee Airmen | Nominated | |
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Outbreak | Nominated | |||
1996 | Academy Award | Best Supporting Actor | Jerry Maguire | Won | |
American Comedy Awards | Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Won | |||
Broadcast Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | Won | |||
Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | Won | |||
Golden Globe Award | Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture | Nominated | |||
NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture | Nominated | |||
Satellite Award | Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture | Won | |||
Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role | Won | |||
1997 | Satellite Award | Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture | As Good as It Gets | Nominated | |
1998 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | What Dreams May Come | Nominated | |
2000 | BET Award | Best Actor | Men of Honor | Nominated | |
Black Reel Award | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Nominated | |||
2003 | Razzie Award | Worst Actor | Boat Trip | Nominated | |
The Fighting Temptations | Nominated | ||||
Radio | Nominated | ||||
2004 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Won | ||
2007 | Razzie Award | Worst Actor | Norbit | Nominated | |
Daddy Day Camp | Nominated | ||||
Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture | American Gangster | Nominated | ||
2009 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story | Nominated | |
NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Miniseries or Special | Won | |||
2012 | Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Miniseries or Special | Firelight | Won | ||
2013 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | The Butler | Nominated | ||
Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture | Nominated | |||
2016 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson | Nominated | |
Critics' Choice Television Award | Best Actor in a Movie/Limited Series | Nominated | |||
Satellite Award | Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Nominated | |||
NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Miniseries or Special | Nominated |
See also
In Spanish: Cuba Gooding Jr. para niños