| Show Even when things go wrong Eoassg raids way tg make them work Says the director James I Brooks: h Sr I CUBA GOODING JR: With him below are (from left) his mother Shirley wife Sara and father P Cuba Gooding Sr at this year's Academy Awards where Cuba Jr won the Oscar for BY GAIL BUCHALTER n pi 1 F" 1 Y MOMS MAIN philosophy was m God has a great plan for you and you will be a leader And thats what I concentrated on when I was growing up" 1 was in a restaurant at dining Calif with Cuba Gooding Jr winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire He was telling me about losing his father friends and affluent surroundings at 1 1 yet he never seemed to feel sony for himself or make himself the victim As I was growing up he said I would say to myself I have to figure out these hard times so I'll never let this happen to my family Gooding 29 had come from the set of What Dreams May Come in which he plays Robin Williams deceased friend and spirit guide Gooding no longer has to audition for choice roles He plays an art dealer in As Good As It Gets starring Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt which will be released on Dec 23 and hes Anthony Hopkins psychiatrist in Ishmaet which begins filming this winter Cuba makes you ashamed if youre lift Sau-sali- ji m ie m u m m nj gru m m mi mi u m 'iu nil m m mi mi in iiii n mi m ii h Best Supporting Actor tor Jerry Maguire o to was growing np U say Isavs ta flgere out these hard times so HI never "As I ta myself i let tills happen to my family'" not fully enjoying your life said Janies L Brooks who produced Jerry Maguire and directed Gooding in As Good As It Gets His taste for life is so great Hes not afraid to let it in and hes not afraid to let it out But hes not like Tidwell Tidwell had a brashness and spontaneity like a man who was energized with life and never COVFR PHOTOGRAPH BY AARON RAPOPORT STYLIST PHIUJP BIXKH CLOTHING BY DKNY thought of the other side of things I think Cuba has thought of everything from every place I Gooding quickly learned was much happier talking about his recent glory days than the path that led him here Everything was going fine until it went downhill he said succinctly I hate talking about that With a little prodding he added: We lived in a huge house in Granada Hills a Los Angeles suburb My father was the lead singer in The Main Ingredient and they had a No 1 record on the charts Everybody Plays the Fool My mom had grown up in Harlem when it was a beautiful time to be there My father was a romantic entertainer who took her away to a life she had never dreamed of ex periencing All her faith held that he would take care of her Then one day it all came to an end My father left and moved hack East She had to stand on her own two teet and she didn't know how She had three kids to support We had to go on welfare" Goodings mother Shirley moved her three children April the oldest Cuba and his younger brother Omar to her mothers house in Victors ille a town in the Southern California desert My mom was working Gooding re called 1 was working Together we kepi the house I started pulling weeds in the ask seventh grade Id go I'd 0 $ for I ing if could clear the yard work eight hours and people would usually give me 20 bucks It wasn't am thing I thought about It was more like: Here's door-to-do- or 1 the deal and I have to take charge and take care of things to the best of my ability But Gooding couldnt and wouldn't for- PAGE 4 DECEMBER T 1T PARADE MAGAZINE |
