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	Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

Cuba Mark Gooding Jr. (born January 2, 1968) is a famous American actor. He is known for many exciting movie roles.

He became well-known after starring in the movie Boyz n the Hood (1991). Later, he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Jerry Maguire (1996). In this movie, he played a lively football star.

Some of his other popular films include A Few Good Men (1992), Pearl Harbor (2001), and Radio (2003). He also lent his voice to animated movies like Home on the Range (2004).

Cuba Gooding Jr. has also acted on television. He played Dr. Ben Carson in the film Gifted Hands (2009). He also appeared in the TV series American Horror Story: Roanoke (2016).

He has performed on Broadway too. In 2013, he was in the play The Trip to Bountiful. In 2018, he played a main role in the musical Chicago.

Early Life and School

Cuba Gooding Jr. was born in the Bronx, New York City, on January 2, 1968. His mother, Shirley Sullivan, was a singer. His father, Cuba Gooding Sr., was the lead singer of a soul music group called The Main Ingredient.

He has three siblings: April, Omar, and Thomas. His family moved to Los Angeles in 1972. This was after his father's group had a hit song called "Everybody Plays the Fool".

Cuba Gooding Jr. went to four different high schools. He was even class president in three of them! When he was 13, he became a born-again Christian.

Acting Career

Early Roles and Oscar Win

Cuba Gooding Jr. in 2000

Cuba Gooding Jr. started as a breakdancer. He even performed with singer Lionel Richie at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. After high school, he studied Japanese martial arts before focusing on acting.

He got small roles in TV shows like Hill Street Blues (1987) and MacGyver. He also had a small part in the comedy Coming to America (1988).

His first big role was in the movie Boyz n the Hood (1991). He played the main character, Tre Styles. This film was a big success and is still seen as an important movie today.

After that, he had supporting roles in movies like A Few Good Men (1992) and Outbreak (1995). He also appeared in the TV film The Tuskegee Airmen (1995).

In 1996, Cuba Gooding Jr. became very famous. He starred in the movie Jerry Maguire with Tom Cruise. He played a football player, and the movie was a huge hit. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role. His famous line, "Show me the money!", became a popular saying.

Becoming a Well-Known Actor

Cuba Gooding Jr. at the 2016 Daytona 500

After his Oscar win, Cuba Gooding Jr. continued to act in many films. He had a notable role in the comedy As Good as It Gets (1997). He also starred in the drama Men of Honor (2000), where he played a lead role alongside Robert De Niro.

He appeared in the epic film Pearl Harbor (2001) as Doris Miller. He was also in the comedy Rat Race (2001) and the football drama Radio (2003). The family comedy Snow Dogs (2002) was also very popular.

In 2002, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He also voiced Buck the Horse in the Disney animated film Home on the Range (2004).

He played Ben Carson in the TV film Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (2009). He also had a role in the World War II film Red Tails (2012), which was produced by George Lucas.

Broadway and TV Roles

In 2013, Cuba Gooding Jr. acted in several movies. These included The Butler, where he gave a well-received performance. He also made his Broadway theatre debut in the play The Trip to Bountiful.

In 2014, he played Civil Rights Movement attorney Fred Gray in the historical drama Selma. He has since appeared more often on television. He was in the miniseries The Book of Negroes. He also appeared in the TV series American Horror Story: Roanoke.

In 2018, Cuba Gooding Jr. starred in the musical Chicago in London's West End and on Broadway. He also directed his first movie, Bayou Caviar, which was released in 2018.

Personal Life

Family

In 1994, Cuba Gooding Jr. married his high school sweetheart, Sara Kapfer. They have three children together: Spencer, Piper, and actor Mason Gooding. They separated in 2014 and later divorced in 2017.

Charity Work

In 2006, Cuba Gooding Jr. 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