Cuba Gooding Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cuba Gooding Jr.
Gooding in 2022
Born	Cuba Mark Gooding Jr. (1968-01-02) January 2, 1968 (age 57) New York City, U.S.
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).

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 in 2000

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

Gooding at the 2016 Daytona 500

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

Television

Theatre

Video Game

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Cuba Gooding Jr. para niños