Cuba+Gooding+Jr.

Cuba Gooding, Jr. was born on January 2nd, 1968 in the Bronx, New york where he spent this early child hood. Cuba was the son of Shirley and Cuba Gooding Sr. He also has two brothers, Tommy and Omar. Show business runs in his family because his father was a singer for the soul group, [|The Main Ingredient] and his mother was a singer for the Sweethearts. His brother Tommy was a musician and his brother Omar was a fellow actor.

Cuba's father left the family soon after his band, the Main Ingredient, got a hit single. During a t.v. interview, cuba revealed that after his fater left, the family lived in hotels around Los Angles. The loss of his father was the biggest obsticale for him to overcome in his childhood. Cuba attended four different high schools and was class president in three of them. Afterr high school he studied martial arts for three years before starting his acting carrer. Cuba Jr. is currently married to Sara Kapfer, his "high school sweetheart". The two have known each other since 1986. They have three children together, sons Spencer and Mason, and daughter Piper. Cuba spends a lot of time playing ice hockey as a form of relaxation.

His first job as a professional entertainer was as a breakdancer performing with singer [|Lionel Richie]at the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Early on, he landed guest starring roles on shows like Hill Street Blues and MacGyver. His first major role was in the 1991 movie, Boyz n the Hood. He followed this success with roles in major films like A Few Good Men, Lightning Jack, and Outbreak. In 1996, he was cast in Cameron Crowe's [|Jerry Maguire]. The film became a huge box office hit and earned him an oscar for Best Supporting Actor. His "Show Me The Money" line in the movie became a nationwide catchphrase.

He later appeared in movies that were critically or commercially unsuccessful, such as Norbit and Daddy Day Camp, which either received strongly negative reviews or performed poorly at the box office. In 2002, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2007, he appeared in a television commercial for Hanes underwear alongside Michael Jordan. His bigest contrabution to socity was the joy and entertainment he broght the world through his acting.

A detailed listing of his work can be seen here at his [|IMDB]

Cuba Gooding Jr.. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from IMDB Web site: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000421/

Cuba Gooding Jr.. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from Cinema confidental Web site: http://www.cinecon.com/interviews/cubagoodingjr.shtml

Cuba Gooding Jr.. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from Jam movies Web site: http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Artists/G/Gooding_Jr_Cuba/1996/12/13/758649.html

Cuba Gooding Jr.. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from bnet Web site: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_19_96/ai_57042479