CUBA GOODING JR. BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Cuba Gooding Jr. was born on January 2nd, 1968 in The Bronx, New York with the birth name Cuba M. Gooding Junior.  His father, Cuba Gooding was the lead vocalist for the R&B music group, "The Main Ingredient" and his mother, Shirley was a back up singer for the group, "The Sweethearts". Growing up in a family already involved in show business, Gooding Jr. had it in his blood to be involved in the entertainment industry.
 
In 1972, his family relocated to Los Angeles, California.  A couple years later his parents divorced but he remained in Los Angeles and lived in a number of hotels with his family attending a total of four different high schools.  After Gooding Jr. graduated from high school he went on to study martial arts before he decided he wanted to pursue a career as an actor.
 
His first real job in entertainment was performing as a break dancer with singer, Lionel Richie.  Soon he was appearing on such television series as, "Hill Street Blues" (1981) and "MacGyver" (1985). 
 
Once he began working in films he could be seen on such big screen features as, "Boyz in the Hood" (1991), "A Few Good Men" (1992), "Lightning Jack" (1994), "Outbreak" (1995) and "Jerry Maguire" (1996) which earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor.
 
Some of his more recent film roles have been in, "As Good as it Gets" (1997), "Men of Honor" (2000) sarring Robert Di Nero, "Radio" (2003), "Norbit" (2007), "A Murder of Crows" (1998) which he also co produced as well as starred in.
 
Gooding Jr. was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the Motion Picture Industry.  He has been married only one time to Sara Kapfer from 1994 and they have three children and remain together today.  Gooding Jr. lives in Studio City, California with his wife, a school teacher and his children.

 
Filmography

2012 Love Letters in the Sand 
2012 One in the Chamber
2012 Red Tails
2011 Sacrifice
2011 The Hit List
2011 Ticking Clock 
2009 Wrong Turn at Tahoe
2009 Hardwired
2009 Lies & Illusions 
2009 The Devil's Tomb 
2009 The Way of War
2009 Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story 
2008 Linewatch 
2008 Harold 
2008 Hero Wanted
2007 The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends
2007 American Gangster 
2007 Daddy Day Camp
2007 What Love Is 
2007 Norbit 
2006 End Game
2006 Lightfield's Home Videos 
2005 Dirty 
2005 Shadowboxer 
2004 A Dairy Tale
2004 Home on the Range
2003 Radio
2003 The Fighting Temptations
2002 Boat Trip 
2002 Snow Dogs
2001 In the Shadows 
2001 Rat Race
2001 Pearl Harbor 
2000 Men of Honor 
1999 Chill Factor 
1999 Instinct 
1998 A Murder of Crows
1998 What Dreams May Come 
1997 As Good as It Gets 
1997 Do Me a Favor 
1996 Jerry Maguire 
1995 The Tuskegee Airmen 
1995 Losing Isaiah 
1995 Outbreak 
1994 Blown Away 
1994 Lightning Jack 
1993 Judgment Night 
1993 Daybreak 
1992 A Few Good Men
1992 Gladiator 
1992 Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story 
1992 Judgement
1989-1991 MacGyver
1991 Boyz n the Hood 
1990 Nasty Boys
1990 Mancuso, FBI 
1990 Nasty Boys, Part 2: Lone Justice 
1989 Sing
1989 227
1988 Amen 
1988 CBS Schoolbreak Special 
1988 Coming to America 
1987 The Bronx Zoo 
1986-1987 Hill Street Blues 
1986 Better Days