Cuba Gooding, Jr.
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| Cuba Gooding, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Gooding, Jr. signs an autograph, Fort Story, Virginia, 2006 |
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| Born | January 2, 1968 The Bronx, New York |
| Spouse(s) | Sara Kapfer (1994-present) |
Cuba Gooding, Jr. (January 2, 1968) is an Academy Award-winning American actor.
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[edit] Personal life
Gooding was born in The Bronx, New York, the son of Shirley, a singer with the Sweethearts, and Cuba Gooding, Sr., a lead vocalist of soul group The Main Ingredient.[1] He has a brother, fellow actor Omar Gooding. His family moved to Los Angeles after Gooding, Sr.'s music group had a hit single with "Everybody Plays the Fool" in 1972; the elder Gooding abandoned his family two years later. Cuba, Jr. became a born-again Christian at age 13.[2] Gooding was raised by his mother and attended four different high schools (including 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. During his appearance on the The Howard Stern Show, Gooding, Jr. revealed that after his father had left, his family lived in hotels throughout Los Angeles.
Gooding has been married to Sara Kapfer since 1994; the two have known each other since 1986. Together, they have three children: sons Spencer Gooding (born in 1994) and Mason Gooding (born in 1996), and a daughter, Piper Gooding (born in 2005).
[edit] Career
Following 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 1991 box office surprise Boyz n the Hood (1991). He followed this success with supporting roles in major films like A Few Good Men (1992), Lightning Jack (1994) and Outbreak (1995).
In 1996, Cuba was cast as an arrogant but loyal football player in Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire (1996). The film became a huge box office smash and earned Cuba an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His "Show Me The Money" line in the movie became a nationwide catchphrase. The role elevated him to superstar status.
Most recently, he won critical support[citation needed] for his portrayal of a mentally handicapped man in the film Radio (2003), another movie about football. In 2002, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2007, he appeared in a television commercial for Hanes underwear alongside Michael Jordan.
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Coming to America | Barber Shop Customer | |
| 1989 | Judgement | Officer Alvarez | |
| Sing | Stanley | ||
| 1991 | Boyz n the Hood | Tré Styles | |
| 1992 | Gladiator | Abraham Lincoln Haines | |
| A Few Good Men | Cpl. Carl Hammaker | ||
| 1993 | Daybreak | Torch (Stephen Tolkin) | |
| Judgment Night | Mike Peterson | ||
| 1994 | Lightning Jack | Ben Doyle | |
| 1995 | Outbreak | Maj. Salt | |
| The Tuskegee Airmen | Billy Roberts | ||
| Losing Isaiah | Eddie Hughes | ||
| 1996 | Jerry Maguire | Rod Tidwell | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated - Golden Globe |
| 1997 | As Good as It Gets | Frank Sachs | |
| Do Me a Favor | Liquor Store Clerk | ||
| 1998 | What Dreams May Come | Albert Lewis | |
| A Murder of Crows | Lawson Russel | Produced by Derek Broes | |
| 1999 | Instinct | Theo Caulder | |
| Chill Factor | Arlo | ||
| 2000 | Men of Honor | BM2/Chief/Senior Chief Carl Brashear | |
| 2001 | Pearl Harbor | Petty Officer Doris Miller | |
| Rat Race | Owen Templeton | ||
| In the Shadows | Draven | ||
| 2002 | Snow Dogs | Dr. Ted Brooks | |
| 2003 | Boat Trip | Jerry Robinson | |
| The Fighting Temptations | Darrin Hill | ||
| Radio | James Robert "Radio" Kennedy | ||
| 2004 | Home on the Range | Buck | voice-over |
| 2005 | Dirty | Salim Adel | |
| Shadowboxer | Mikey | ||
| 2006 | End Game | Alex Thomas | |
| Lightfield's Home Videos | |||
| 2007 | Norbit | Deion Hughes | |
| What Love Is | Tom | ||
| Daddy Day Camp | Charlie Hinton | ||
| American Gangster | Leroy "Nicky" Barnes | ||
| The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends | Loofah | voice-over direct-to-video |
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| 2008 | Hero Wanted | Liam Case | awaiting release |
| Harold | TBA | awaiting release | |
| Linewatch | Michael Dixon | awaiting release | |
| The Way of War | TBA | post-production | |
| 2009 | Untitled Gehenna Project | Mack | post-production |
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Kevin Spacey for The Usual Suspects |
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor 1996 for Jerry Maguire |
Succeeded by Robin Williams for Good Will Hunting |
[edit] References
- ^ Gaul, Lou. Cuba Gooding Jr. talks 'Daddy Day Camp' . Phillyburbs.com. 7 August 2007.
- ^ Williams, Kam. CUBA GOODING, JR: The Daddy Day Camp Interview with Kam Williams. Eurweb.com. 15 August 2007.
[edit] External links
- Cuba Gooding, Jr. at the Internet Movie Database
- Cinema Confidential interview (January 2002)
- Hollywood.com interview (November 9, 2000)
- Jet interview (October 11, 1999)
- Ebony interview (June, 1997)
- JAM! Movies interview (December 13, 1996)
- Hanes Backstage Game with Cuba Gooding, Jr. & Michael Jordan (July, 2007)
- Young Hollywood Hockey Event - Interview
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