Cuba Gooding, Jr.

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Upon winning the Academy Award for his role in Jerry Maguire, Cuba Gooding, Jr., gave perhaps the most boisterous, good-natured acceptance speech ever known in the history of Oscar acceptance speeches. Life hasn't always been a bowl of cherries for this talented, hard working actor though. Born in The Bronx in 1968, Cuba was raised by Shirley and Cuba Gooding, Sr., both of whom were in the band, The Sweethearts. The group had a hit single, Everybody Plays the Fool, in 1972 and moved to Los Angeles soon after. A couple of years later, Cuba's father abandoned the family, leaving his mother to raise him and his brother, Omar, on her own. The family of three struggled, living in hotels throughout Los Angeles. Due to the constant moving, Cuba attended four different high schools during his teenage years and served as class president in three of them. His ability to socialize and make an impression was practice for the acting career about to come his way.In the 1980's, Cuba appeared in a commercial for the popular clothing line, Bugle Boy. Soon after, he appeared in small roles in such films as Coming to America and Sing. However, it was his lead role in John Singleton's critically acclaimed movie, Boyz n the Hood, that really got everybody to pay attention to Cuba. The film served as a launching pad for his acting career and roles in such movies as the boxing movie, Gladiator, A Few Good Men, Daybreak,Losing Isaiah and Outbreak quickly followed.Cuba's acting career took a dramatic leap in 1996, when he starred alongside Tom Cruise in the comedy, Jerry Maguire. It was his turn as the cocky yet good-natured athlete, Rod Tidwell that earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance, and became known for the catchphrase, Show me the money. Upon winning the Oscar, his slate quickly filled with even more roles in feature films such as As Good As It Gets, What Dreams May Come, Pearl Harbor, Snow Dogs and Boat Trip. He also stretched his acting wings with a challenging role as the mentally handicapped character, Radio, in the movie of the same name.Cuba was most recently seen in the movies, Norbit, Daddy Day Camp and American Gangster. This constantly on the go actor has no less than 4 movies lined up for this year, including Linewatch, Hero Wanted with Ray Liotta, Harold with Nikki Blonsky, and The Way of War. He can also be seen in commercials for Hanes underwear alongside basketball great, Michael Jordan. When not working on films or commercials, this family man spends time with his wife of 13 years and their three children. This hockey fanatic also tries to get out on the ice as often as possible.Cuba has certainly come a long way from his childhood days of struggling to make ends meet and moving from place to place. The actor can proudly boast a resume that includes work with A-list talent such as Tom Cruise, Eddie Murphy, Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman, Halle Berry, Jack Nicholson, Robin Williams and Ben Affleck. He has more than held his own alongside some of the most respected actors of our time. Given his ability to make audiences laugh or cry from one movie to the next, it is only a matter of time before he is delivering another joyful speech on stage.