Cuba Gooding Jr.

Cuba Gooding Jr is one of the most celebrated and versatile actors of his generation, known for his blockbuster performances on stage and screen. He has won an Oscar, a Screen Actors Guild Award and three NAACP Image Awards, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe, a Primetime Emmy, and over three dozen other industry honours.

Gooding’s early performance career was as a breakdancer, before turning his attention to acting, and playing guest parts in shows including California Dreams, MacGyver, and Hill Street Blues. He later gained attention for his performance in the coming-of-age drama Boyz n the Hood, and went on to land further big screen roles in films including A Few Good Men, Outbreak and Judgment Night. In 1996, he cemented his breakthrough when he was cast in sports comedy-drama Jerry Maguire opposite Tom Cruise. The film became a hit with audiences and critics alike, and earned Gooding an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, propelling him to global stardom.

Following his Oscar win, Gooding became one of Hollywood’s most in-demand leading men, starring in titles such as A Murder of Crows, Men of Honor, Pearl Habor and American Gangster. In 2016, he starred as O.J. Simpson in the FX true crime series American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, which earned him praise and a host of award nominations, including for an Emmy and a Critics’ Choice Award. Elsewhere, he had his writing and directorial debut with the 2018 crime drama Bayou Caviar, while on stage he is best known for his performance as Ludie Watts in the Broadway production of The Trip to Bountiful, and his portrayal of Billy Flynn in both the London and New York productions of Chicago.