Editing Cuba Gooding Jr. (section)

===1984–1996: Early roles and ''Jerry Maguire'' ===
[[File:Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. by Kozaryn.jpg|thumb|left|Gooding in 2000]]
Gooding's first job as an entertainer was as a breakdancer, performing with singer [[Lionel Richie]] at the closing ceremonies of the [[1984 Summer Olympics]] in Los Angeles.<ref name="Gaul, Lou 2007"/> 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 such as ''[[Hill Street Blues]]'' (1987), ''[[Amen (TV series)|Amen]]'' (1988) and ''[[MacGyver (1985 TV series)|MacGyver]]'' (1988, 1989 and 1990). He also had a small part in the popular comedy ''[[Coming to America]]'' (1988). 

Gooding's first major role was the lead in [[John Singleton]]'s inner-city crime drama ''[[Boyz n the Hood]]'' (1991), in which he played Tre Styles. The film was a box office surprise success and critical hit. It is now considered a modern classic.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nrTB2Uf7kEIC|title=John Singleton: Interviews|last=Barboza|first=Craigh|date=January 1, 2009|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|isbn=9781604731163|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/ebonynationalmed00grif|url-access=registration|title=Ebony|date=November 1, 1998|isbn=9780945800286|language=en}}</ref> Gooding followed this success with supporting roles in major films such as ''[[A Few Good Men]]'' and ''[[Gladiator (1992 film)|Gladiator]]'' (both 1992), ''[[Judgment Night (film)|Judgment Night]]'' (1993), ''[[Lightning Jack]]'' (1994), and ''[[Outbreak (1995 film)|Outbreak]]'' (1995). He played Billy Roberts in the [[HBO]] film ''[[The Tuskegee Airmen]]'' (1995).

In 1996, Gooding reached a new level of prominence when he was cast as an arrogant yet charismatic football player in [[Cameron Crowe]]'s dramatic sports comedy ''[[Jerry Maguire]]'' (1996), co-starring with [[Tom Cruise]]. The film was a major critical and commercial success and was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Picture]]; Gooding won an Oscar for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]. His exuberant "Show me the money!" line in the film became a nationwide catchphrase.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vibe.com/celebs/feature.html?id=53 |title=Cuba Gooding Jr. |access-date=July 6, 2009 |work=Vibe |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430085729/http://www.vibe.com/celebs/feature.html?id=53 |archive-date=April 30, 2009 }}</ref> His Oscar acceptance speech has often been cited for its enthusiasm.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/oscars/2017/02/24/oscars-best-speeches/|date=24 February 2017|last=Nolfi|first=Joey |title=The 15 most memorable Oscar speeches since Cuba Gooding Jr.|access-date=19 April 2020|magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}</ref>