Cuba Gooding Jr. is a diverse and prolific Oscar-winning actor who has been putting in work for over 30 years. Gooding Jr. started off by working as a backing dancer, even performing with Lionel Ritchie at the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. His first big screen appearance, however, was a small role in 1988’s Coming to America, which was a huge hit.

Since then, Gooding Jr. has appeared in dozens of movies ranging from huge blockbuster dramas to straight-to-DVD action flicks. Along the way, he has appeared with some of Hollywood’s biggest players, from Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise to Robert De Niro and Denzel Washington to Robin Williams and Russell Crowe. Here, we take a look back at the very best movies within Cuba Gooding Jr.'s extensive catalog.

6 A Few Good Men

Probably best known for its iconic use of the phrase "You can’t handle the truth," the 1992 legal drama A Few Good Men, based on a 1989 play by Aaron Sorkin, features a fantastic ensemble cast comprising a who’s-who of the top actors of the era, including Tom Cruise, Kevin Bacon, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, and Kiefer Sutherland. It follows the trials and tribulations of two U.S. Marines charged with the murder of a fellow Marine and the effect it has on their lawyers as they prepare for the case. Amongst the plethora of top performances is Gooding Jr., who plays against the type of brash characters he’d been establishing for himself and delivers a nuanced and reserved performance as Corporal Carl Hammaker.

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5 Lee Daniels' The Butler

A nice return to form for Gooding Jr., who had been experiencing somewhat of a lull in his career around the time of The Butler’s release, which went on to be a commercial and critical hit. Once again, Gooding Jr. finds himself in good company, acting alongside fellow industry legends Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, and Jane Fonda. It follows the real-life story of Eugene Allen, who worked as a butler in the White House for decades. It’s a poignant historical study of racial segregation during the Jim Crow era, brilliantly acted and masterfully shot, and sits amongst Gooding Jr.’s finest performances as he portrays one of Eugene Allen’s White House coworkers, which earned him a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.

4 As Good As It Gets

Once again starring alongside the legendary Jack Nicholson, Gooding Jr. shines as the flamboyant yet intimidating art agent Frank Sachs in As Good As It Gets. And while the show is admittedly well and truly stolen by Nicholson and his portrayal as Melvin, a grumpy, bigoted, OCD-sufferer, all others involved more than handled their own. In fact, per Variety, Nicholson and Helen Hunt won the Academy Award for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively, making As Good as It Gets the most recent film to win both of the lead acting awards, and the first since. Combining over the top oddball humor with genuine pathos and heart, As Good As It Gets is widely regarded as one of the finest movies of Nicholson’s later career.

3 American Gangster

Arguably one of the greatest gangster movies of all time, it’s loosely based on the life of drug kingpin Frank Lucas and his heroin smuggling operation involving American service planes returning from the Vietnam War. Denzel Washington takes on the lead role of Frank Lucas alongside Russell Crowe as his enemy Detective Richie Roberts. Gooding Jr. plays real life gangster Nicky Barnes, joining the supporting cast that includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, Idris Elba, RZA, and Lymari Nadal. This gangster epic was considered a fantastic throwback to the classic gangster flicks of Scorsese and Coppola, and sits amongst Gooding Jr.’s finest, in what is an already impressive catalog.

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2 Jerry Maguire

Jerry Maguire sees Gooding Jr. once again teaming up with Cruise as they lead a cast that also includes Renée Zellweger, Bonnie Hunt, and Regina King. Part kooky rom-com and part sports drama, the movie managed to perfectly blend humor and sentimentality, and won the hearts of audiences across the globe as it went onto become a huge commercial and critical hit. Gooding Jr.’s performance, in particular, received worldwide acclaim, racking up multiple award wins, including an Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor, forever immortalizing him as one of the industry’s most talented stars. Inspired by sports agent Leigh Steinberg, who acted as technical consultant on the crew, and his client Tim McDonald during the 1993 NFL Free Agency, Jerry Maguire also includes a whole host of cameos from real-life sports personalities, from sports commentator Roy Firestone to NFL wide receiver Art Monk.

1 Boyz N the Hood

Gooding Jr. stars in the gritty, emotional and often violent coming of age drama Boyz N the Hood, which explores the lives of a gang of inner-city youths trying to navigate the dangerous and confusing world of South-Central L.A. As the main character, Gooding Jr. is torn between the violent gang culture that surrounds him and the opportunity-filled potential he envisions for himself after completing his studies. Featuring a stellar cast including Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Regina King, and Angela Bassett, the movie was praised for its unflinching look at the realities of the booming gang culture that was prevalent in L.A. at the time. The movie itself has gone onto become a hugely impactful film, influencing countless movies dealing with similar themes, even being recognized by United States Library of Congress, who deemed it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.