Cuba Gooding Jr.

Cuba Mark Gooding Jr. (born January 2, 1968) is an American actor. After his breakthrough role as Tre Styles in Boyz n the Hood, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor playing a football star in Jerry Maguire (1996). His other notable films include A Few Good Men (1992), Judgment Night (1993), Lightning Jack (1994), As Good as It Gets (1997), Men of Honor (2000), Pearl Harbor (2001), Snow Dogs (2002), Radio (2003), Norbit (2007), Linewatch (2008), and he played Dr. Ben Carson in the film Gifted Hands (2009). He played in Red Tails (2012), and The Butler (2013). He has done voice acting in Home on the Range (2004) and The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends (2007).

For his portrayal of O. J. Simpson in the FX drama series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016), he earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. He also co-starred that year in the FX series American Horror Story: Roanoke (2016).

Gooding made his Broadway debut playing Ludie Watts in the 2013 revival of the Horton Foote play The Trip to Bountiful. In 2018, he played Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago in both the West End and on Broadway.

Early life and education Cuba Mark Gooding Jr. was born on January 2, 1968, in the Bronx, New York City. His mother, Shirley Sullivan, was a singer, and his father, Cuba Gooding Sr., was the lead vocalist of soul group The Main Ingredient. Gooding has three siblings: April, Omar, and Thomas. His paternal grandfather, Dudley MacDonald Gooding, was a native of Barbados. He had become a born-again Christian at the age of 13.

Career 1984–1996: Early roles and Jerry Maguire

Gooding's first job as an entertainer was as a breakdancer, performing with singer Lionel Richie at the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Gooding followed this success with supporting roles in major films such as A Few Good Men and Gladiator (both 1992), Judgment Night (1993), Lightning Jack (1994), and Outbreak (1995). He played Billy Roberts in the HBO film The Tuskegee Airmen (1995).

In 1996, Gooding reached a new level of prominence when he was cast as an arrogant yet charismatic football player in Cameron Crowe's dramatic sports comedy Jerry Maguire (1996), co-starring with Tom Cruise. The film was a major critical and commercial success and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture; Gooding won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. His exuberant "Show me the money!" line in the film became a nationwide catchphrase. His Oscar acceptance speech has often been cited for its enthusiasm.

1997–2012: Established actor

In 1997, Gooding followed his breakout with a notable supporting role in the acclaimed Academy Award-winning comedy As Good as It Gets (1997). In the following years, his career was inconsistently successful. Some of his best-received performances include turns in films such as the mystical drama What Dreams May Come (1998) and the US Naval drama Men of Honor (2000), in which he played the lead role and co-starred with Robert De Niro. Gooding also received attention for his roles in the epic Pearl Harbor (2001) as Doris Miller, the ensemble farce Rat Race (2001), musical dramedy The Fighting Temptations (2003), and the football drama Radio (2003), in which he played the title role. Additionally, though not well received critically, the family comedy Snow Dogs (2002) was a commercial success. In 2002, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Gooding starred in an online video game called "The Quest For The Code" which focuses on juvenile asthma management.

Other roles during this time include Theo Caulder in the psychological thriller Instinct (1999). He voiced Buck the Horse in the Disney animated film Home on the Range (2004). However, during this stage of his career, he appeared in a series of films that were not critically or commercially successful, such as Chill Factor (1999), Boat Trip (2002), Norbit (2007) and Daddy Day Camp (2007), all of which received extremely negative reviews and, except for Norbit, performed poorly at the box office.

Since then, in contrast to earlier stages of his acting career, Gooding has appeared in more critically ignored, direct-to-DVD films than theatrical or television releases. A well-received performance as Ben Carson in the TNT film Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (2009), and a small supporting role in Ridley Scott's American Gangster (2007), both proved to be exceptions to this trend.

Gooding's next major film role was in the 2012 World War II film Red Tails, produced by George Lucas. In 2012, Gooding starred in a TV pilot for Fox called Guilty, which was directed by McG. Though it was well received in screenings, it was ultimately not picked up by the network. He appeared on Channel 4's Chris Moyles' Quiz Night on August 5, 2011, closing the show in a duet, "Bad Romance", with Lulu.

2013–present: Broadway debut and TV roles In 2013, Gooding had roles in several theatrical release films, including a well-received supporting performance in Lee Daniels's The Butler and brief appearances in Don Jon and Machete Kills.

He made his Broadway theatre debut alongside Cicely Tyson and Vanessa Williams in a Tony Award-nominated production of The Trip to Bountiful.

In 2014, he appeared as Civil Rights Movement attorney Fred Gray in the widely acclaimed historical drama Selma. He has since appeared more frequently in television productions, including performances as Samuel Fraunces in the miniseries The Book of Negroes, as a comedically embellished version of himself on Big Time in Hollywood, FL, and as O. J. Simpson in the anthology series American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson.

Although his performance as 'OJ' received mixed reviews, he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie. Some reviewers criticized the nomination. In 2018, Gooding headlined the 21st anniversary revival of the musical Chicago at the Phoenix Theatre in the West End, playing Billy Flynn.

His directorial debut, Bayou Caviar, was released on October 5, 2018. On March 3, 2018, Gooding appeared as star guest announcer on the 100th episode of ITV's Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.

Personal life Marriage In 1994, Gooding married his high school sweetheart, Sara Kapfer. They had three children together: Spencer Gooding, Piper Gooding, and Mason Gooding, who followed him into acting.

Twenty years later, in 2014, Kapfer filed for legal separation from Gooding. Gooding filed for divorce in January 2017.

Charity work In 2006, Gooding earned the Public Leadership in Neurology Award from the American Academy of Neurology for his work raising awareness about multiple sclerosis.

Sexual misconduct allegations

On June 13, 2019, Gooding was booked on charges of misdemeanor forcible touching and sexual abuse in the third degree in New York City, relating to an incident in which he allegedly groped a woman at a bar in Times Square. On October 10, he was indicted on a separate, additional sexual abuse charge. As of August 2020, 30 women have accused Gooding of unwanted sexual touching.

Gooding was formally charged for three incidents, each resulting in misdemeanor charges of forcible touching and third-degree sexual abuse.

On August 19, 2020, a woman filed a lawsuit against Gooding, accusing him of raping her in 2013 in New York City. The two parties came to a settlement agreement on June 6, 2023. As a result of the settlement, Gooding will not face trial. Gooding's lawyers insisted that he and the woman had had consensual sex, saying that the woman had bragged afterwards to others that she had sex with a celebrity.

Gooding reached a plea deal with prosecutors that did not require time in jail. He was allowed to withdraw his misdemeanor plea and plead to the lesser violation of harassment on the condition that he continue counseling for six months.

On February 26, 2024, Gooding was mentioned in a sexual assault lawsuit brought against Sean Combs by music producer Rodney Jones. The lawsuit alleged that Gooding had "groped and fondled [Jones] non-consensually." On March 26, Jones amended the lawsuit to include Gooding as a co-defendant.

Acting credits

Film Year Title Role Notes 1988 Coming to America Boy Getting Haircut 1989 Sing Stanley 1991 Boyz n the Hood Jason "Tre" Styles III 1992 Gladiator Abraham Lincoln Haines Judgment Officer Alvarez Corporal Carl Edward Hammaker 1993 Judgment Night Mike Peterson 1994 Lightning Jack Ben Doyle Blown Away Bomb Squad Class Member Cameo 1995 Outbreak Major Salt Losing Isaiah Eddie Hughes 1996 Jerry Maguire Rod Tidwell 1997 Trading Favors Liquor Store Clerk As Good as It Gets Frank Sachs 1998 What Dreams May Come Albert Lewis Welcome to Hollywood Himself Cameo Lawson Russell Also producer 1999 Instinct Theo Caulder Chill Factor Arlo 2000 Men of Honor BM2 /Chief / Senior Chief Carl Brashear The Kid Wedding Guest Uncredited cameo 2001 Pearl Harbor Petty Officer Doris Miller Rat Race Owen Templeton In the Shadows FBI Agent Draven Zoolander Himself Cameo 2002 Snow Dogs Theodore "Ted" Brooks Boat Trip Jerry Robinson 2003 Darrin Hill Radio James Robert "Radio" Kennedy 2004 Home on the Range Buck The Domestic Horse Voice 2005 Shadowboxer Mikey Dirty Salim Adel 2006 End Game Alex Thomas Direct-to-video 2007 Norbit Deion Hughes What Love Is Tom Daddy Day Camp Charlie Hinton American Gangster Nicky Barnes Loofah The Beipiaosaurus Voice role; direct-to-video 2008 Hero Wanted Liam Case Direct-to-video Harold Cromer Also producer Linewatch Michael Dixon Direct-to-video 2009 David Wolfe Captain Mack Lies & Illusions Isaac Hardwired Luke Gibson Wrong Turn at Tahoe Joshua 2011 Ticking Clock Lewis Hicks Sacrifice Detective John Hebron The Hit List Jonas Arbor 2012 Red Tails Major Emanuel Stance One in the Chamber Ray Carver Direct-to-video 2013 Don Jon Hollywood Actor #2 Cameo Absolute Deception John Nelson Direct-to-video Life of a King Eugene Brown The Butler Carter Wilson Machete Kills El Chameleón 2 2014 Freedom Samuel Also executive producer Selma Fred Gray 2018 Bayou Caviar Rodney Jones Also director and co-writer 2020 Life in a Year XavierDirect-to-streaming after limited theatrical release 2023 The Weapon "Blue"Direct-to-streaming after limited theatrical release 2024 Skeletons in the Closet AndresDirect-to-streaming after limited theatrical release Angels Fallen: Warriors of Peace BalthazarDirect-to-streaming The Firing Squad Samuel Wilson 2025A Line of FireJavier TBD Dog Patrol Sheriff Jacobs In post-productionLotusIn pre-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 1986 Better Days Bully Episode: "Wooly Bully" The Dating Game Himself / Contestant IDK 1987 Hill Street Blues Gang member #2 / Ethan Dillon 2 episodes 1988 CBS Schoolbreak Special Paul Episode: "No Means No" Amen Kenny Episode: "Thelma's Handyman" 1989–1991 MacGyver Billy Colton 4 episodes 1992 Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story Tyree TV film 1993 Daybreak Stephen "Torch" Tolkin The Untouchables Tommy Taylor Episode: "Betrayal in Black & Tan" 1995 Billy Roberts TV film 1999 Saturday Night Live Himself Host; episode: "Cuba Gooding Jr./Ricky Martin" 2007 Sesame Street 2 episodes 2009 Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story Ben Carson TV film 2012 Firelight Dwayne Johnson (DJ) Guilty Billy Remz Pilot 2013 Summoned Detective Callendar TV film 2015 Empire Dwayne "Puma" Robinson Episode: "The Devil Quotes Scripture" The Book of Negroes Samuel Fraunces 2 episodes Big Time in Hollywood, FL Himself 6 episodes Forever Isaac Monroe 3 episodes 2016 American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson O. J. Simpson Miniseries; 10 episodes American Horror Story: Roanoke Matt Miller / Dominic Banks 5 episodes Oxford Street 24/7 Himself 1 episode

Theater Year Title Role Venue 2013 The Trip to Bountiful Ludie Watts Stephen Sondheim Theatre, Broadway debut 2018ChicagoBilly FlynnPhoenix Theatre, West End debut Ambassador Theatre, Broadway

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2002 Quest for the Code Cyrus Live-action

Awards and nominations Year Association Category Project Result 1991 Chicago Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor Boyz n the Hood 1995NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actor in Television Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion PictureOutbreak 1996 Academy Award Best Supporting Actor Jerry Maguire American Comedy Awards Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor Chicago Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe Award Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture NAACP Image Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture Satellite Award Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role 1997 Satellite Award Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture As Good as It Gets 1998 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture What Dreams May Come 2000 BET Award Best Actor Men of Honor Black Reel Award Best Actor NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture 2003 Razzie Award Worst Actor Boat Trip Radio 2004 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture 2007Razzie Award Worst Actor Norbit Daddy Day Camp Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture American Gangster 2009 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Miniseries or Special 2012 Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Miniseries or Special Firelight 2013 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture The Butler Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture 2016 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson Critics' Choice Television Award Best Actor in a Movie/Limited Series Satellite Award Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Miniseries or Special 2024 Septimius Awards Lifetime Achievement Award