Cuba Gooding Biography

Cuba Gooding Jr., actor

Birthdate: January 2, 1968

Birthplace: The Bronx, New York

Sign: Capricorn

Cuba Gooding, Jr. is an Academy Award-winning actor best known for his turn as Rod Tidwell in "Jerry Maguire". Gooding was raised in The Bronx, New York by his two singer parents, Cuba Gooding, Sr. and his mother Shirley. The family moved to Los Angeles after Gooding, Sr.'s group The Main Ingredient had a hit single, 1972's "Everybody Plays the Fool". His father left his family when Gooding was only six and his mother raised him and his two brothers. He attended four high schools in Los Angeles and served as class president in three of them. He met his current wife, Sara Kapfer, in high school and they've been married since.

Gooding's first taste as an entertainer was working as a breakdancer in 1984 and performing behind Lionel Richie at the Summer Olympics. Gooding also studied martial arts for three years before focusing on acting. Gooding landed bit parts in shwos like "Hill Street Blues", "227" and "MacGyver". His first major film role was playing Tre Styles in John Singleton's 1991 drama "Boyz n the Hood". He followed that role with parts in films like 1992's "A Few Good Men", "Judgment Night" and "Outbreak", with Morgan Freeman and Dustin Hoffman.

In 1996, Gooding's performance as football star Rod Tidwell in Cameron Crowe's "Jerry Maguire" made him a bona fide star and earned him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Since then, Gooding has had roles in some hits ("American Gangster", "Norbit", "Snow Dogs") and some major misses ("Daddy Day Camp", "Boat Trip"). In 2002, he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He can next be seen in "Lies & Illusions" with Christian Slater and the action thriller "The Way of War".