Cuba M. Gooding, Jr. (born January 2, 1968) is an American film actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Rod Tidwell in Cameron Crowes Jerry Maguire (1996), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His performances in films such as Boyz n the Hood (1991), As Good as It Gets (1997), Men of Honor (2000), Rat Race (2001), Snow Dogs (2002), and The Butler (2013) were also well received. Gooding Jr., was born in Bronx, New York, the son of Shirley Gooding (née Sullivan), a singer with the Sweethearts, and Cuba Gooding, Sr., a lead vocalist of the soul group The Main Ingredient. His 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.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), Amen (1988) and MacGyver (1988, 1989 and 1990 and also had a tiny part in the popular comedy Coming to America (1988). Goodings first major role was in John Singletons inner-city crime drama Boyz n the Hood (1991), in which he played the lead, Tré Styles. A box office surprise and critical hit, the film is now considered a modern classic. He followed this success with supporting roles in major films such as A Few Good Men (1992), Judgment Night (1993), Lightning Jack (1994), and Outbreak (1995). In 1996, Gooding reached a new level of prominence when he was cast as an arrogant yet charismatic football player on the brink of a career-ending injury in Cameron Crowes blockbuster dramatic sports comedy Jerry Maguire (1996) with co-star Tom Cruise, which was a major critical and commercial success and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Most significantly, it earned Gooding an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. His exuberant Show me the money! line in the film became a nationwide catch phrase. Additionally, his Oscar acceptance speech has often been cited for its enthusiasm.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 21:27:42 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015