Cuba Gooding Jr. is a man who would become synonymous with films such as Boyz n the Hood (1991), Pearl Harbor (2001), and most recently for his role in the limited television series, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. With his career spanning the late '80s to the modern day, Gooding Jr. has earned many accolades though not without attracting some less-than-stellar jobs and becoming embroiled in controversy. Here we are going to look back on Cuba Gooding Jr.'s career with a focus on his humble beginnings, his breakthrough roles, and his a segment on where he finds himself today.
How It Began
Cuba Gooding Jr. had a taste of what fame could do to a man as his father, Cuba Gooding Sr., was a member of the soul band The Main Ingredient. After his father left the family, Gooding Jr. was raised by his mother alongside his siblings and would grow to have his first taste of fame for himself when he became a breakdancer for Lionel Richie during the 1984 Summer Olympics.
After this, Gooding Jr. would begin to turn to acting, earning some guest star appearances on television shows such as Hill Street Blues and Amen, & having reoccurring guest appearances in Macgyver as Billy Colter. After making some minor appearances in films, Gooding Jr. would earn his first significant starring role in the early '90s. Starring as Jason "Tre" Styles III in Boyz n the Hood, Gooding Jr. would get to work alongside stars such as Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, & Angela Basset.
Success in Supporting Roles
After gaining a high level of experience and exposure, new doors would open for Gooding Jr., with the young man taking on many strong supporting roles. He would perform as Abrahman Lincoln Haines in Gladiator (1992), Corporal Carl Edward Hammaker in A Few Good Men (1992), and Major Salt in Outbreak (1994), among others. Gooding Jr. became known for his work as a supporting actor after his performance as Rod Tidwell, a disgruntled Arizona Cardinals football player, in Jerry Maguire (1996), a role that would earn Cuba Gooding Jr. his first major award in the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. While this accomplishment would fill Gooding Jr. with confidence, it wouldn't mean every step of his career would be a successful one.
Life After the Oscar
The first few years after receiving the award would be bountiful, with Cuba Gooding Jr. getting prominent roles in films such as Men of Honor (2000), Pearl Harbor (2001), and being featured in As Good as It Gets (1997), a film that would win multiple awards. Cuba Gooding Jr. would also receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in early 2001.
However, as the hype surrounding Gooding Jr. began to die down, he would find himself taking on smaller projects, many of which would end up being direct-to-DVD films. One commercial success would be his leading role in the movie Snow Dogs (2002), a Disney Channel film. It would be over ten years before Gooding Jr. would find himself thrust back into the spotlight. His most impressive roles during that interim were when he played Nicky Barnes in Ridley Scott's American Gangster (2007) and Ben Carson in Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (2009).
Trying New Mediums
Seeing his film career start to dwindle into obscurity, Cuba Gooding Jr. would look to revitalize his career by taking on different projects. He would enter the realm of voice acting in animation by taking on the role of Buck, the domestic horse in Home on the Range (2004). He would also perform some live-action work in the video game Quest for the Code (2002). Following this, Gooding Jr. would take some time to turn to the stage by performing in theatrical plays with roles such as Ludle Watts in The Trip to Bountiful and Billy Flynn in Chicago, a show he would perform in both London as well as New York City.
Gooding Jr. wouldn't stray too far from film, as he would perform admirably as Carter Wilson in The Butler (2013) and as Fred Gray in Selma (2014) before turning his attention back to television. Gooding Jr. would take on the lead role of O.J. Simpson in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, a limited series that would earn Gooding Jr. an Emmy award. Gooding Jr. would then make an attempt at directing, with his directorial debut coming with Bayou Caviar (2018), a film he would also star in. This feat would be lost amidst controversy as Gooding Jr. would become one of many Hollywood stars that would be called out for alleged sexual misconduct. With around 30 accusations made and three formal charges, Gooding Jr. is looking to continue his career, having wrapped filming alongside Terrence Howard on a yet-to-be-released film called Skeletons in the Closet.