Bio: Cuba Gooding Jr. was born on January 2, 1968, in The Bronx, New York. His mother, Shirley (Sullivan), was a backup singer for The Sweethearts. 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 paternal grandfather was from Barbados.Cuba's 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 (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 the Tom Cruise-Cameron Crowe film 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, as many of Hollywood's top producers began to "show him the money" to appear in their films.Since Jerry Maguire (1996), 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 (2003), another movie about football. In 2002, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.He resides in Studio City, California.
Tivia: Was a backup dancer for Paula Abdul.Break danced in the 1984 closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Los AngelesHe and his wife Sara were high school sweethearts.Is an avid hockey player and has a rink in his back yard.Suggested by Roger Moore to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond.Born in the Bronx but raised in Los Angeles, his parents once managed the Apollo Theatre in New York.Son of Cuba Gooding, lead singer of The Main Ingredient singing group ("Everybody Plays The Fool").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 (1996).In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, he listed turning down lead roles in Amistad (1997), Collateral (2004), Hotel Rwanda (2004), Ray (2004), and The Last King of Scotland (2006) as serious errors of judgment ("I'm kicking my balls in this interview").Sons: Spencer Gooding, born in 1994, and Mason Gooding, born in 1996.He and his wife welcomed their third child, a daughter, in Fall 2005. Her name is Piper and no other details have been released.He was a non-celebrity contestant on The All-New Dating Game (1986) (approx 1986) He was contestant #1. The woman passed him up and chose contestant #2.As of 2021, has appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: A Few Good Men (1992), Jerry Maguire (1996), As Good as It Gets (1997) and Selma (2014).Older brother of Omar Gooding.When Cuba became a member of AMPAS in 1993, he was sponsored by actors Dustin Hoffman and Kevin Spacey.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.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".Turned down the leading role of Cinque in Amistad (1997).Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. (1997)He played a role in the MacGyver (1985) episode, The Coltons (1991), which was the pilot to a series about the Colton Brothers. However, the pilot did not sell and so the series never was produced.Lives in Pacific Palisades and Porter Ranch, California.Enjoys vacations in Hawaii with his family and goes there often.Occasionally plays a member of the armed forces or law enforcement. He played "Petty Officer Doris Miller" in Pearl Harbor (2001), "Senior Chief Carl Brashear" in Men of Honor (2000), "Corporal Carl Hammaker" in A Few Good Men (1992) and "Officer Alvarez" in Hitz (1992).Cuba Gooding Jr. is in Ottawa filming Sacrifice (2011) , a $6.8-million drama that also stars actor Christian Slater. (April 2010)Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1991" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 43. (1991)He has appeared in one film that has been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Boyz n the Hood (1991).