Cuba Gooding Jr. filmography and biography
Date of birth: 2 January 1968, The Bronx, New York, USA
Cuba Gooding Jr. biography
Cuba Gooding Jr. was born on January 2, 1968, in The Bronx, New York.
His father, Cuba Gooding, was the lead vocalist for the R&B
group The Main Ingredient, which had a hit with the song
"Everybody Plays The Fool". His mother, Shirley, was a backup singer
for The Sweethearts. His father moved the family to Los Angeles in
1972, only to leave them a few years later. Despite this setback, Cuba
was able to maintain a positive outlook and overachieved throughout
school. He attended four different high schools and was elected class
president in three of them. While at high school, Cuba met and fell in
love with Sara Kapfer, whom he later lived with for seven years before
tying the knot in March 1994.
Following high school, Cuba 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 and
MacGyver. His first major role was in the 1991 box
office surprise Boyz n the Hood. He followed this success
with supporting roles in major films like A Few Good Men,
Lightning Jack and Outbreak.
In 1996, Cuba was cast as an arrogant but loyal football player in the
Tom Cruise-Cameron Crowe (I) film
Jerry Maguire. 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, as many of Hollywood's top
producers began to "show him the money" to appear in their films.
Since Jerry Maguire, Cuba has managed to keep busy with a
wide range of roles alongside many of Hollywood's biggest stars. Most
recently, he won critical support for his portrayal of a mentally
handicapped man in the heartwarming film Radio, another
movie about football. In 2002, he was given a star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame.
Currently, he resides in Studio City, California with Sara, now a school
teacher, and their two sons.
Cuba Gooding Jr. trivia
- (1991) Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1991" in John
Willis' Screen World, Vol. 43.
- Older brother of Omar Gooding.
- (1997) Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful
people in the world.
- Break danced in the 1984 closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Los
Angeles
- Son of Cuba Gooding, lead singer of The Main Ingredient
singing group ("Everybody Plays The Fool").
- Suggested by Roger Moore (I) to replace Pierce Brosnan as
James Bond.
- He was a non-celebrity contestant on
The All-New Dating Game (approx 1986) He was contestant
#1. The woman passed him up and chose contestant #2.
- Was a backup dancer for Paula Abdul.
- He played a role in the MacGyver episode "The Coltons"
which was the pilot to a series about the Colton Brothers. However, the
pilot did not sell and so the series never was produced.
- Sons: Spencer Gooding, born in 1994 and Mason Gooding, born in 1996.
- Was discovered by eccentric Hollywood agent, Coralie Jr., for his
break-dancing talent. He thanked Coralie in his acceptance speech when
he received the academy award for his best supporting role in
Jerry Maguire.
- Attended John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills his junior
year. There, he joined the drama club, stage crew and ran cross
country. That year, 1986, he appeared in the California Shakespeare
Festival where he won first place in his portrayal of "Othello".
- He and his wife welcomed their third child, a daughter, in Fall 2005.
Her name is Piper and no other details have been released.
- Occasionally plays a member of the armed forces or law enforcement. He
played "Petty Officer Doris Miller" in Pearl Harbor,
"Senior Chief Carl Brashear" in Men of Honor, "Corporal
Carl Hammaker" in A Few Good Men and "Officer Alvarez" in
Judgement.
- Turned down the leading role of Cinque in Amistad.
- Early in his career appeared as a contestant on
The All-New Dating Game.
- He and his wife Sara were High School sweethearts.
- Is an avid hockey player and has a rink in his back yard.
- His father, Cuba Gooding, is a Goodwill Ambassador to Rosarito,
Baja California, Mexico. On Dec. 5. 2009, he received a "key" to the
city from Mayor Torres.
- Enjoys vacations in Hawaii with his family and goes there often.
- Lives in Pacific Palisades and Porter Ranch, California.
Cuba Gooding Jr. quotes
- "I have never made a decision based on race and never will. I am
admiring of my fellow peers, black film-makers and black actors and
actresses. When Halle and Denzel won Oscars, I felt pride because I was
black, but never did I analyse their win based on colour."
- I came in there and did everything I had to do and the rest was history.
So it was never like me sitting going 'Ah, there's Tom!' To me, it was
like that son of a bitch was holding me back from doing what I had to
do - on his final audition for Jerry Maguire.