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Cuba Gooding Jr.

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Known For Acting
Birthday Jan 02, 1968 (57)
Birthplace The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA
Popularity 1 (history)
Updated Jul 05, 2025 (Update)
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
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 In ... gredient. 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 Supporting Actor. His "Show Me The Money" line in the film became a nationwide catchphrase. In 1997, he had a notable supporting 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 supporting 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.

Known For

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Profile
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Filmography

Athena Saves Christmas

Athena Saves Christmas

2024

as Sheriff Jacobs

Skeletons in the Closet

Skeletons in the Closet

2024

as Andres

The Firing Squad

The Firing Squad

2024

as Samuel Wilson

The Weapon

The Weapon

2023

as Blue

Life in a Year

Life in a Year

2020

as Xavier

Bayou Caviar

Bayou Caviar

2018

as Rodney Jones

Freedom

Freedom

2014

as Samuel

Selma

Selma

2014

as Fred Gray

Absolute Deception

Absolute Deception

2013

as John Nelson

Life of a King

Life of a King

2013

as Eugene Brown

Summoned

Summoned

2013

as Detective Callendar

The Butler

The Butler

2013

as Carter Wilson

Machete Kills

Machete Kills

2013

as El Camaleon

Don Jon

Don Jon

2013

as Hollywood Actor #2

Firelight

Firelight

2012

as DJ

One in the Chamber

One in the Chamber

2012

as Ray Carver

Red Tails

Red Tails

2012

as Major Emanuelle Stance

Sacrifice

Sacrifice

2011

as John Hebron

Ticking Clock

Ticking Clock

2011

as Lewis Hicks

The Hit List

The Hit List

2011

as Jonas Arbor

2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift

2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift

2010

as archival footage

The Devil's Tomb

The Devil's Tomb

2009

as Mack

The Way of War

The Way of War

2009

as David Wolfe

Hardwired

Hardwired

2009

as Luke Gibson

Wrong Turn at Tahoe

Wrong Turn at Tahoe

2009

as Joshua

Lies & Illusions

Lies & Illusions

2009

as Isaac

Linewatch

Linewatch

2008

as Michael Dixon

Hero Wanted

Hero Wanted

2008

as Liam Case

Harold

Harold

2008

as Cromer

Daddy Day Camp

Daddy Day Camp

2007

as Charlie Hinton

What Love Is

What Love Is

2007

as Tom

American Gangster

American Gangster

2007

as Nicky Barnes

Norbit

Norbit

2007

as Deion Hughes

End Game

End Game

2006

as Alex Thomas

Dirty

Dirty

2006

as Salim Adel

Shadowboxer

Shadowboxer

2005

as Mikey

Home on the Range

Home on the Range

2004

as Buck (voice)

A Dairy Tale

A Dairy Tale

2004

as Buck (voice)

Radio

Radio

2003

as Radio

The Fighting Temptations

The Fighting Temptations

2003

as Darrin Hill

Boat Trip

Boat Trip

2002

as Jerry Robinson

Snow Dogs

Snow Dogs

2002

as Ted Brooks

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

2001

as Doris Miller

In the Shadows

In the Shadows

2001

as Draven

Rat Race

Rat Race

2001

as Owen Templeton

Zoolander

Zoolander

2001

as Cuba Gooding Jr.

Men of Honor

Men of Honor

2000

as Senior Chief Carl Brashear

Chill Factor

Chill Factor

1999

as Arlo

A Murder of Crows

A Murder of Crows

1999

as Lawson Russell

Instinct

Instinct

1999

as Dr. Theo Caulder

What Dreams May Come

What Dreams May Come

1998

as Albert Lewis

Welcome to Hollywood

Welcome to Hollywood

1998

as Cuba Gooding Jr.

As Good as It Gets

As Good as It Gets

1997

as Frank Sachs

Trading Favors

Trading Favors

1997

as Liquor Store Clerk

Jerry Maguire

Jerry Maguire

1996

as Rod Tidwell

Losing Isaiah

Losing Isaiah

1995

as Eddie Hughes

Outbreak

Outbreak

1995

as Major Salt

The Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen

1995

as Billy Roberts

Lightning Jack

Lightning Jack

1994

as Ben Doyle

Blown Away

Blown Away

1994

as Bomb Squad Class Member

Daybreak

Daybreak

1993

as Torch

Judgment Night

Judgment Night

1993

as Mike Peterson

Gladiator

Gladiator

1992

as Abraham Lincoln Haines

Judgement

Judgement

1992

as Officer Alvarez

A Few Good Men

A Few Good Men

1992

as Cpl. Carl Hammaker

Boyz n the Hood

Boyz n the Hood

1991

as Tré Styles

Sing

Sing

1989

as Stanley

Coming to America

Coming to America

1988

as Boy Getting Haircut

Bayou Caviar

Bayou Caviar

2018

Writer

Bayou Caviar

Bayou Caviar

2018

Director

A Murder of Crows

A Murder of Crows

1999

Producer

Organization Category Movie
Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Selma Nominated
Television Credits

American Crime Story

as O. J. Simpson

Episodes: 10

First Aired: Feb 02, 2016

Big Time in Hollywood, Fl

as Cuba Gooding Jr.

Episodes: 10

First Aired: Mar 25, 2015

American Horror Story

as Dominic Banks

Episodes: 10

First Aired: Oct 05, 2011

The Book of Negroes

as Sam Fraunces

Episodes: 6

First Aired: Jan 07, 2015

MacGyver

as Billy Colton

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Sep 29, 1985

Nasty Boys

as Poptop

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Sep 21, 1989

MacGyver

as Ray Collins

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 29, 1985

The Graham Norton Show

as Self

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Feb 22, 2007

The View

as Self

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Aug 11, 1997

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Episodes: 3

First Aired: May 25, 1992

The Oscars

as Self

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Mar 19, 1953

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

as Self - Guest

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Jul 16, 2009

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

as Self - Guest

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 13, 1993

Lily Allen and Friends

as Self - Guest

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Feb 12, 2008

Sesame Street

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 10, 1969

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 26, 2003

The Daily Show

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 22, 1996

227

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 14, 1985

Hill Street Blues

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 15, 1981

Mancuso, F.B.I.

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 13, 1989

MADtv

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 14, 1995

The Bronx Zoo

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 19, 1987

The Untouchables

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 11, 1993

V Graham Norton

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: May 06, 2002

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 03, 2005

Saturday Night Live

as Self - Host

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 11, 1975

Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 02, 2015

John Bishop: In Conversation with...

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 01, 2016

Entertainment Tonight

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 15, 1981

Conan

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 08, 2010

The Last Leg

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 25, 2013

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 5 21 25 19
2024 6 17 27 13
2024 7 23 34 10
2024 8 18 34 11
2024 9 15 23 8
2024 10 19 58 7
2024 11 20 31 13
2024 12 18 28 10
2025 1 19 30 13
2025 2 11 22 2
2025 3 8 15 1
2025 4 1 1 0
2025 5 3 4 1
2025 6 1 2 1
2025 7 1 2 1
2025 8 1 2 1

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
2024 5 656 469
2024 6 827 682
2025 2 809 669
2025 3 651 590
2025 7 366 28
2025 8 188 152

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