Biography
Cuba Mark Gooding Jr. (born January 2, 1968) is an American actor. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Emmy nomination.
He was born in Bronx, New York to Shirley, a singer with the Sweethearts, and Cuba Gooding, Sr., a lead vocalist of soul group The Main Ingredient. He has two brothers, musician Tommy Gooding and fellow actor Omar Gooding, and sister, April Gooding. His family moved to Los Angeles after Gooding Sr.'s music group had a hit single with "Everybody Plays the Fool" in 1972 but abandoned his family two years later. Gooding Jr. was raised by his mother and attended four different high schools: 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.
His first job as a professional entertainer was as a break-dancer performing with singer Lionel Richie at the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. After 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 John Singleton's box office surprise and critical hit Boyz n the Hood (1991). He followed this success with roles in major films like A Few Good Men (1992), Lightning Jack (1994), Outbreak (1995), Men of Honor (2000), Rat Race (2001), and The Fighting Temptations (2003) in which he co-starred alongside Beyoncé Knowles.
In 1996, he was cast as an arrogant football player on the brink of a career-ending injury in Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire (1996). The film was a success and earned him an Oscar for Best ing Actor. His "Show Me The Money" line in the film became a nationwide catchphrase. In 1997, he had a notable ing role in As Good As It Gets (1997). The next several years, his films were inconsistently successful; Boat Trip (2002), Norbit (2007), and Daddy Day Camp (2007), all of which had received extremely negative reviews and performed poorly at the box office.
Gooding also starred in a film titled A Murder of Crows, which he co-produced with his long time friend and business partner Derek Broes. The film was Gooding's first attempt at producing. Since then, he has had series of starring roles in grittier films released direct-to-DVD such as the revenge dramas Hero Wanted and Wrong Turn at Tahoe, as well as the sci-fi action pic Hardwired and the action comedy Lies & Illusions.
A well-received performance as Ben Carson in Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (2009) and a small ing role in Ridley Scott's American Gangster (2007) both proved to be exceptions to this trend. An appearance in the World War II film, Red Tails, produced by George Lucas and with other prominent actors such as Terrence Howard, will mark his only return to the big screen since American Gangster.
Filmography
all 120
Movies 86
TV Shows 34
self 28
Voice 4
Director 1
Producer 1

Dog Patrol (2025)

The Firing Squad (2024)

TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy (2024)

Bayou Caviar (2018)

American Crime Story (2016)

Big Time in Hollywood, Fl (2015)

The Book of Negroes (2015)

Selma (2014)

Forever (2014)

Freedom (2014)

Don Jon (2013)

Machete Kills (2013)

The Butler (2013)

Life of a King (2013)

Absolute Deception (2013)

Summoned (2013)

One in the Chamber (2012)

Red Tails (2012)

Double Victory: The Tuskegee Airmen at War (2012)

American Horror Story (2011)

Sacrifice (2011)

The Hit List (2011)

Ticking Clock (2011)

Conan (2010)

2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift (2010)

Hardwired (2009)

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (2009)

The Way of War (2009)

Linewatch (2008)

Harold (2008)

Hero Wanted (2008)

Lily Allen and Friends (2008)

American Gangster (2007)

Daddy Day Camp (2007)

Norbit (2007)

End Game (2006)

Dirty (2006)

Shadowboxer (2005)

A Dairy Tale (2004)

Home on the Range (2004)

Radio (2003)

The Fighting Temptations (2003)

Boat Trip (2002)

Making Rat Race (2002)

Snow Dogs (2002)

Zoolander (2001)

Rat Race (2001)

In the Shadows (2001)

Pearl Harbor (2001)

Men of Honor (2000)

A Murder of Crows (1999)

Instinct (1999)

What Dreams May Come (1998)

Welcome to Hollywood (1998)

As Good as It Gets (1997)

Trading Favors (1997)

Jerry Maguire (1996)

MADtv (1995)

The Tuskegee Airmen (1995)

Losing Isaiah (1995)

Outbreak (1995)

Blown Away (1994)

Lightning Jack (1994)

Judgment Night (1993)

Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993)

Daybreak (1993)

A Few Good Men (1992)

Judgement (1992)

Gladiator (1992)

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Nasty Boys (1989)

Sing (1989)

Coming to America (1988)

Better Days (1986)

MacGyver (1985)

Saturday Night Live (1975)

The Oscars (1953)
Gallery



Information
Known For
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1968-01-02 (57 years old)
Birth Place
New York City, United States
Children
Spencer Gooding, Mason Gooding
Father
Cuba Gooding Sr.
Siblings
Omar Gooding
Citizenships
United States
Residences
Los Angeles, United States
Also Known As
キューバ・グッディング・ジュニア , کوبا گودینگ جونیور
Awards
Screen Actors Guild Award, Academy Award for Best ing Actor, star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
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Cuba Gooding Jr.
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