Cuba Gooding, Jr. Quotes

United States, Actor
January 2, 1968

Cuba Michael Gooding Jr. (born January 2, 1968), is an American actor and comedian. He gained his breakthrough role as Tre Styles in Boyz n the Hood (1991); he appeared in A Few Good Men (1992), The Tuskegee Airmen (1995), Outbreak (1995), and Jerry Maguire (1996), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He gained later attention for his roles in Men of Honor (2000) as Carl Brashear, and in Michael Bay's WWII epic Pearl Harbor (2001) as Doris Miller. His other notable films include As Good as It Gets (1997), the ensemble farce Rat Race (2001), American Gangster (2007), Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013), and Selma (2014), playing civil rights attorney Fred Gray. In 2016, he portrayed O.J. Simpson in the FX drama series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, and co-starred in the sixth season of the FX anthology series American Horror Story, subtitled Roanoke.

Also known as Comedian

I am admiring of my fellow peers, black filmmakers and black actors and actresses.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- Black
My wife and I have been together since 1986. I graduated in '86 and she graduated in '88. We began dating when she was 17. Actually she turned 18 when we started kissing and stuff.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- She
- Together
- Wife

It took me a month to get out of the mindset of O.J. But even now, still, I think it might have done something to my vocal chords. I went to see the doctor, and he was like, 'I don't see anything. You're fine.' But mentally, I might have broke a little bit.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- Done
- Mindset
There are roles I want that my agency might not want me to do because of the subject matter or whatever. Or there are roles that people won't bring to me because they don't think I'll do it. And that is a big strain because an actor wants to act.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- People
I understand it all. I can write my own ticket for one or two movies. But if they're not the right ones, my ticket gets yanked. I understand that's how it works, and I'm okay with it.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
I think all my characters haunt me. Especially the real-life ones, like Master Chief Carl Brashear, the Tuskagee Airmen. Every time I see a military person, it gives me such a sense of pride but also a sense of responsibility to project excellence when representing them.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- Life
- Time
- Real
The truth is, you don't ever decide on a role, not when you first begin. You audition for the role, and you're lucky to get it.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- Truth
I think police officers are modern day heroes. I think they protect us.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- Police

The Academy Awards was an amazing night. I know I kind of lost my mind a little bit. I apologize for that. That night went so fast; I can't remember what I said or what happened.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- Mind
- Remember
- Night
When I started in the business, you did television, and then when you got lucky, you got a prestige project of a film.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- Business
I speak to my agent about great roles, and he's like, 'They are all going to Will Smith.'

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- Great
Now, I have big-money offers on three movies, and I have director approval. That's kind of scary,' he says. 'No directors have been attached. That's a lot of pressure on me.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- Money
- Scary
I don't choose parts. I choose filmmakers. I'm done trying to make a statement with a character. What happens is, I craft a performance from the beginning to the end of the character. Then I release it to the director, and he interprets what I gave him.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- Trying
- Done
- Character
Our job as artists is to reflect the ills of society sometimes and to find a truth in that, and I think you can't start the healing process until you recognize the truth and all of its ugly warts and all.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- Job
- Truth
- Society

If I told you I was a Republican and you were a Democrat, no matter what I said after that, it would be tempered with your opinions.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
As an actor, when you're winning the moment over, there's a truth to your intention. You might laugh at it or you might cry at it, but I think your visceral reaction to it is a reaction to the truth of the moment.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- Truth
- Winning
As an actor you have to bring to the table your creative input. But when a director like Ridley Scott says I want you to do this this way, you know when he gets to the editing room he has a reason for it. It's like watching a masterpiece.

Cuba Gooding, Jr.