Cuba Gooding is an Oscar-award-winning actor who grew up in the Bronx, and had a huge musical influence because his parents were singers. His dad was a vocalist in the group, The Main Ingredient. The group achieved notoriety, thanks to their single “Everybody Plays the Fool.”
Cuba’s father abandoned the family after they moved to Los Angeles. His mother eventually took charge of his upbringing and influenced his taste for the arts, including martial arts.
He has been acting since 1986, working in both movies and television shows.’ He is famously known for depicting the character of Rod Tidwell in the film “Jerry Maguire,” which won him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
However, his first success came when he appeared in the closing ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics as a professional breakdancer. It was during the same period he decided to focus on his acting career and appeared in small roles on TV series such as Hill Street Blues, Amen, and MacGyver, according to Marca.
He got his breakthrough in movies when he starred in the crime drama film, Boyz n the Hood, as well as performances in A Few Good Men, Lightning Jack, and Outbreak. This was after he appeared in a small role in Eddie Murphy’s romantic comedy film, Coming to America.
Since then, he has starred in movies like “Instinct, What Dreams May Come, Men of Honor, Pearl Harbor, Radio, The Fighting Temptations, Daddy Day Camp, Rat Race, American Gangster, Red Tails, and The Butler,” according to Marca.
He also has television works like Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, and American Crime Story: The People v. OJ Simpson.
His success in the movie and television space has earned him considerable wealth. Celebrity net worth estimates his net worth at $12 million, while Marca puts his net worth at $15 million.
Cuba’s success in the movie industry has not come without challenges. He has faced a number of legal challenges for which he could end up in prison. According to AP, he has settled accusations that he raped a woman in a New York City hotel a decade ago despite insisting the encounter was consensual.
“Minutes after jurors were to begin assembling in a courtroom, a calendar entry in the official court record said: ‘TRIAL OFF.’ It added: “Reason for cancellation (on consent): the parties have resolved the matter,” according to AP.