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Cuba Gooding Jr.

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Actor, also director, producer and writer · Born January 2, 1968 (58) · The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Oscar winner · Screen Actors Guild Award winner · Primetime Emmy nominee · 2 other major award bodies

Cuba Mark Gooding Jr. (born January 2, 1968) is an American actor. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Emmy nomination. He was born in Bronx, New York to Shirley, a singer with the Sweethearts, and Cuba Gooding, Sr., a lead vocalist of soul group The Main Ingredient. He has two brothers, musician Tommy Gooding and fellow actor Omar Gooding, and sister, April Gooding. His family moved to Los Angeles after Gooding Sr.'s music group had a hit single with "Everybody Plays the Fool" in 1972 but abandoned his family two years later. Gooding Jr. was raised by his mother and attended four different high schools: North Hollywood High School, Tustin High School, Apple Valley High School, and John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills in Los Angeles. He served as class president in three of them. His first job as a professional entertainer was as a break-dancer performing with singer Lionel Richie at the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. After high school, Gooding studied Japanese martial arts for three years, before turning his focus toward acting. Early on, he landed guest starring roles on shows like Hill Street Blues (1981) and MacGyver (1985). His first major role was in the John Singleton's box office surprise and critical hit Boyz n the Hood (1991). He followed this success with roles in major films like A Few Good Men (1992), Lightning Jack (1994), Outbreak (1995), Men of Honor (2000), Rat Race (2001), and The Fighting Temptations (2003) in which he co-starred alongside Beyoncé Knowles. In 1996, he was cast as an arrogant football player on the brink of a career-ending injury in Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire (1996). The film was a success and earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. His "Show Me The Money" line in the film became a nationwide catchphrase. In 1997, he had a notable supporting role in As Good As It Gets (1997). The next several years, his films were inconsistently successful; Boat Trip (2002), Norbit (2007), and Daddy Day Camp (2007), all of which had received extremely negative reviews and performed poorly at the box office. Gooding also starred in a film titled A Murder of Crows, which he co-produced with his long time friend and business partner Derek Broes. The film was Gooding's first attempt at producing.  Since then, he has had series of starring roles in grittier films released direct-to-DVD such as the revenge dramas Hero Wanted and Wrong Turn at Tahoe, as well as the sci-fi action pic Hardwired and the action comedy Lies & Illusions. A well-received performance as Ben Carson in Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (2009) and a small supporting role in Ridley Scott's American Gangster (2007) both proved to be exceptions to this trend. An appearance in the World War II film, Red Tails, produced by George Lucas and with other prominent actors such as Terrence Howard, will mark his only return to the big screen since American Gangster.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 2, 1968 (58)
From
The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor, also director, producer and writer
Titles
80 on MovieCove · 99 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 4% in 30 days

What are Cuba Gooding Jr.'s films like?

Across their 65 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action25 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 20th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 30th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 26th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Biography5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 19th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Animation2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Animation movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
23%
Bonds
20%
Self
20%
Society
13%
Survival
10%
Power
9%
Ideas
4%
Family bonds14 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity13 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice13 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival12 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship9 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption8 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 62 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 24 · Serious 10 · Dark 28

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 45 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 14 · Charged 23 · Intense 25

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 19 · Shifting 38 · Whiplash 5

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 41 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 11

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 24 · Even-paced 30 · Relentless 8

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 28 · Engaged 32 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 25 · Affecting 22 · Heavy 15

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 50 · Open-ended 9 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

52 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 23 of 52 analyzed roles.

Hero
23 of 52
Mentor
8 of 52
Ally
8 of 52
Shadow
6 of 52
Trickster
4 of 52
Herald
2 of 52
Shapeshifter
1 of 52
Show the 52 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
45
Dread
18
Hopeful
19
Thrilling
16
Melancholic
14
Other
67

How their films linger

Hopeful22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 12 with a twist

  • Happy22
  • Bittersweet32
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous8
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Cuba Gooding Jr.'s films?

As of October 24, 2026, 58 of their 80 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (32).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Cuba Gooding Jr.'s titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

99 credits, 80 with a MovieCove page; 23 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Atlas King(2026)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Quantum Supremacy(2025)

    as Captain Marcus Monroe

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Dog Patrol(2025)

    as Sheriff Jacobs

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • A Line of Fire(2025)

    as Javier Cardona

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Firing Squad(2024)

    as Samuel Wilson

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Angels Fallen: Warriors of Peace(2024)

    as Balthazar

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Skeletons in the Closet(2024)

    as Andres

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • The Weapon(2023)

    as Blue

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Life in a Year(2020)

    as Xavier

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • For NYC (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Actor

  • Bayou Caviar(2018)

    Director · Writer · as Rodney Jones

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • American Crime Story(2016)

    Show 10 episodes · as O. J. Simpson

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Big Time in Hollywood, FL(2015)

    Show 10 episodes · as Cuba Gooding Jr.

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Empire(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Puma

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • The Book of Negroes(2015)

    Show 6 episodes · as Sam Fraunces

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Selma(2014)

    as Fred Gray

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Freedom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Samuel

  • Forever(2014)

    Show as Isaac Monroe

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Don Jon(2013)

    as Hollywood Actor #2

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Machete Kills(2013)

    as El Camaleón 2

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Butler(2013)

    as Carter Wilson

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Summoned(2013)

    as Detective Callendar

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Life of a King(2013)

    as Eugene Brown

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Absolute Deception(2013)

    as John Nelson

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Timmy Muldoon and the Search for the Shadoweyes Bandit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Shadoweyes

  • One in the Chamber(2012)

    as Ray Carver

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Firelight(2012)

    as DJ

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Red Tails(2012)

    as Major Emanuelle Stance

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Double Victory: The Tuskegee Airmen at War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • American Horror Story(2011)

    Show 10 episodes · as Dominic Banks

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Sacrifice(2011)

    as John Hebron

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • The Hit List(2011)

    as Jonas Arbor

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Ticking Clock(2011)

    as Lewis Hicks

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • 2 Everything 2 Terrible 2: Tokyo Drift(2010)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Wrong Turn at Tahoe(2009)

    as Joshua

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Hardwired(2009)

    as Luke Gibson

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Lies & Illusions(2009)

    as Isaac

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • The Devil's Tomb(2009)

    as Mack

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • The Way of War(2009)

    as David Wolfe

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story(2009)

    as Ben Carson

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Linewatch(2008)

    as Michael Dixon

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Harold(2008)

    Producer · as Cromer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Hero Wanted(2008)

    as Liam Case

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends(2007)

    as Loofah (voice)

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • American Gangster(2007)

    as Nicky Barnes

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Daddy Day Camp(2007)

    as Charlie Hinton

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • What Love Is(2007)

    as Tom

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Norbit(2007)

    as Deion Hughes

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • End Game(2006)

    as Agent Alex Thomas

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Dirty(2005)

    as Salim Adel

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Shadowboxer(2005)

    as Mikey

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • A Dairy Tale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Buck (voice)

  • Home on the Range(2004)

    as Buck (voice)

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Radio(2003)

    as Radio

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Fighting Temptations(2003)

    as Darrin Hill

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Boat Trip(2002)

    as Jerry Robinson

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Snow Dogs(2002)

    as Ted Brooks

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Zoolander(2001)

    as Cuba Gooding Jr.

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Rat Race(2001)

    as Owen Templeton

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • In the Shadows(2001)

    as Draven

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Pearl Harbor(2001)

    as Dorie Miller

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Welcome to Hollywood(1998)

    as Cuba Gooding Jr.

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Men of Honor(2000)

    as Senior Chief Carl Brashear

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Chill Factor(1999)

    as Arlo

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • A Murder of Crows(1998)

    Producer · as Lawson Russell

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Instinct(1999)

    as Dr. Theo Caulder

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • What Dreams May Come(1998)

    as Albert Lewis

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • As Good as It Gets(1997)

    as Frank Sachs

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Trading Favors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Liquor Store Clerk

  • Jerry Maguire(1996)

    as Rod Tidwell

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Tuskegee Airmen(1995)

    as Billy Roberts

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Losing Isaiah(1995)

    as Eddie Hughes

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Outbreak(1995)

    as Major Salt

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Blown Away(1994)

    as Bomb Squad Class Member

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Lightning Jack(1994)

    as Ben Doyle

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Judgment Night(1993)

    as Mike Peterson

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Daybreak(1993)

    as Torch

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Untouchables (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • A Few Good Men(1992)

    as Cpl. Carl Hammaker

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Hitz(1992)

    as Officer Alvarez

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Gladiator(1992)

    as Abraham Lincoln Haines

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story(1992)

    as Tyree

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Boyz n the Hood(1991)

    as Tré Styles

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Nasty Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 3 episodes · as Poptop

  • Mancuso, F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Sing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Stanley

  • Coming to America(1988)

    as Boy Getting Haircut

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Bronx Zoo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • MacGyver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 3 episodes · as Billy Colton · as Ray Collins

  • 227(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • Hill Street Blues(1981)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Sesame Street(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Above the Break (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Frank Kitner

  • Break the Cycle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Giving Thanks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Calvin

  • Lotus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Padilla (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • The Madness of Judge Jeremiah Doherty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 98 titles, 92 of them dated from 1969 to 2026; peak year 2008.

Biggest box office

As Good as It Gets (1997)

$314M worldwide

Highest rated

American Gangster (2007)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

American Crime Story (2016)

Film career

MilestoneBreakoutAward winNomination
19692026

Peak 2008 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 42 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 2 more milestones

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting98 of 98: 96 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score39thDirecting1 of 98: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting1 of 98: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing1 of 98: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1960s1 · acting1980s7 · acting1990s22 · 22 acting · 1 crew2000s29 · acting2010s23 · 23 acting · 1 crew2020s10 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 43% of 60 roles
889803081318

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

an Oscar, a Screen Actors Guild Award and 1 other major award from 8 major nominations, 1997–2016.

WinNomination
  1. 2016
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie
  2. 2014
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
  3. 2010
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
  4. 2008
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
  5. 1997
    • Oscar, won · Best Actor in a Supporting Role
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Critics Choice Award, won · Best Supporting Actor

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Cuba Gooding Jr.'s films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 33rd percentile, the median of all 71; across their 62 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 30th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

30thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 62

Approval · how many liked their films

33rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 62

Reach · how many have seen their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 62

Midcredits score across 80 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up21
  • 50th to 74th18
  • 25th to 49th15
  • Below 25th26

Shape of the crowd

34 of their 80 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Universally Panned2
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic5
  • Crowd Pleaser26
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed34

Most divisive · actor

Dog Patrol (2025)

96th percentile spread · 57% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

American Gangster (2007)

Midcredits 98th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the acting 57/100 in their films, across 60 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 36. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Cuba Gooding Jr.'s work okay for kids?

Across up to 34 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore21 titles26–87 · median 52 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity34 titles15–64 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity23 titles22–88 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs19 titles16–67 · median 35 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense19 titles13–80 · median 48 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Cuba Gooding Jr. work with?

People who share at least 2 of Cuba Gooding Jr.'s MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Richard Salvatore shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles