Hollywood actor Cuba Gooding Jr will be celebrating his 44th birthday today.
Born to Cuba Gooding Sr, lead singer of soul group "The Main Ingredient", and Shirley, a backing singer for "The Sweethearts" during the 1960s.
He has won the Oscar for Best Actor in the Supporting Role for his role of Rod Tidwell a proffessional football player in the film "Jerry Maguire".
Gooding’s big screen debut was with "Coming to America" in which he played a young boy having his hair cut. He had mediocre in the films, "Judgement" and "Sing" before Gooding scored his first major role, in John Singleton’s ‘Boyz n the Hood’. This film about inner city life favourably surprised the critics, giving him the break he needed and allowing better supporting and leading roles to come his way. He was in Rowdy Herrington’s "Gladiator" and then came his role as Corporal Carl Hammaker in Rob Reiner’s military crime thriller "A Few Good Men’"with Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon and Keifer Sutherland. Gooding was now acting opposite A-list stars and had come a long way in the four years since his Hollywood debut.
The following year found Gooding in television film "Daybreak" and "Judgment Night". He then had an uncredited role as a Bomb Squad class member in the forgettable "Blown Away".
Other notable roles for Gooding include hostage Ben Doyle in the comedy outlaw caper "Lightning Jack" with Paul Hogan and Major Salt in the drama/sci-fi/thriller "Outbreak" alongside Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey. His line in the movie "Jerry Maguire" ,“Show me the money” became the new catchphrase of youngsters all across the world.
He played the supporting role of Frank Sachs in the romantic comedy "As Good as It Gets" with Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt. He was the gentle and funny spirit guide, Albert Lewis, in the endearing romantic fantasy "What Dreams May Come" with Robin Williams. He has also played the role of aspiring psychologist Dr Theo Caulder in the fascinating "Instinct" with Anthony Hopkins and Donald Sutherland.
Gooding acted in "Chill Factor" an action adventure directed by Hugh Johnson before making his debut as producer with the made-for-video "A Murder of Crows" a crime thriller with Tom Berenger and Eric Stoltz. Gooding found the responsibilities of being a producer quite onerous but immensely enjoyed the experience.
The mark of having truly reached the big-time came with his role as Senior Chief Carl Brashear opposite Robert De Niro in "Men of Honour" . It was a biographical film of the US Navy’s first black salvage-and-retrieval expert, also starring Charlize Theron. Once again a man in Navy uniform, and once again a biographical movie, this time Gooding played the supporting role of petty officer Doris Miller in "Pearl Harbour" with Ben Affleck, Josh Harnett, Jon Voight, and Alec Baldwin.
Between "Pearl Harbour" and "Radio" Gooding acted in a number of thriler movies. These were "In the Shadows" with Matthew Modine and James Caan; the comedy "Rat Race" with John Cleese and Whoopi Goldberg, directed by Jerry Zucker. Next up was adventure comedy "Snow Dogs" with Gooding playing the lead, Dr Ted Brooks, a Miami dentist who inherits a sled and team of dogs from his late mother and goes on an Alaskan escapade, with James Coburn playing spiteful mountain man, ‘Thunder Jack’ Johnson. "Boat Trip" the gay singles cruise comedy and "The Fighting Temptations" a musical comedy imbued with gospel and soul music.
He received critical acclaim, this time for his portrayal of a developmentally challenged man in the heart-warming film "Radio" with Ed Harris. Gooding provided the voice of Buck in the animated comedy "Home on the Range"
He has also worked in movies such as "Dirty" , "End Game" an action thriller with James Woods and Angie Harmon and comedy "What Love Is".
In 2002, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He also won the Screen Actor's Guild award .
FridayMoviez wishes Cuba Gooding Jr. a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!