can be a polarizing name these days as he has become synonymous with a drunken goofy meme as he is handcuffed swept up in the ‘Me Too’ movement and rightfully so. Be that as it may, when we take a look at his film resume we can see he was not just good, but a great one. How great? I look at him like the Vince Carter of black film. For example; The talent was always undeniable, a first ballot talent. When the stage was set he performed and has. too many transcendent moments to be left out of the story.His later years may take away from his early greatness but his longevity is what puts him over many of his peers.
In Gooding’s prime he was able to match greats like Denzel and Wesley but was not necessarily considered in the same category.Cuba Gooding has just as much talent and skills as Denzel and Wesley, but in retrospect he blows Wesley out the water due to how long he does it. Recently as of. 2016 he was nominated for an Emmy for best lead in his somewhat surprisingly. masterful portrayal of Oj Simpson. Cuba’s range is underrated and is honestly where he shines beyond his peers. I could see Denzel playing the smooth Tre Styles in Boyz N The Hood, or Wesley playing the boisterous athlete in Jerry Macquire like he did so well in the classic White Men Can’t Jump-but I can’t see either of them having the range to play Radio as well as Cuba did. In fact I feel Cuba is snubbed for at least. golden globe recognition with Radio and Men of Honor as well. Directed by George Tillman Jr, Cuba stands opposite Robert Dinero in one of the best films in one of the best ever years of film in 2000. Men of Honor is on par of a performance with some of Denzels best work, and is more powerful than anything Wesley has ever done.
Cuba Gooding’s comedic timing and physical acting is incredible. His portrayal as a gay art dealer in another classic in As Good As It Gets stands the test of time as one of his most memorable characters. The film swept the best actor and actresses categories in the award shows with Greg Kinear respectively deserving oof his plethora of supporting actor nods he received, but Cuba Gooding Jr’s character in that movie is as dynamic and pivotal to that film as any supporting character. His exuberant and overtly proud strong black male character was a unicorn of the times, and is still rarely scene in film today.
After doing his critically acclaimed thang, Cuba went on to to do some well deserved money grab jobs like 2001s ensemble movie Rat Race with Whoopi Goldberg, Mr. Bean, and Seth Green; a film I saw in theaters as a kid and was utterly entertained. He then releases Snow Dogs in 2002 which was a moment for a lot of youth. A black man being a lead in a children’s movie not about mentoring inner-city youth is so fucking rare. For this movie to gross over a 100 million worldwide is insane as well and to be honest, Denzel and Wesley could never.
Cuba Gooding Jr is. the Vince Carter of black actors. His talent was undeniable, playing in the same era as some of the greatest at his position. Some would look at his career as an overachievement or an underachievement depending on how you look at things. Overall, he good do it all, possessing a skillset only the greats have had. But unlike Air Canada, he got a Chip.
