# Omar Gooding
**Omar Gooding** (full name Omar M. Gooding; also known by the stage name Big O) is an American actor, comedian, and hip-hop artist, the younger brother of Academy Award winner [Cuba Gooding Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/cuba-gooding-jr) and son of the singer [Cuba Gooding Sr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/cuba-gooding-sr), lead vocalist of the 1970s soul group The Main Ingredient. He built his career on television, first as a host of Nickelodeon's *Wild & Crazy Kids*, then through long runs on the sitcoms *Hangin' with Mr. Cooper* and *Smart Guy*, and earned his widest film recognition as Sweetpea in [John Singleton](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-singleton)'s *Baby Boy* (2001).[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/gooding-omar-1976) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/omar_gooding)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1976; sources disagree on the exact date and place, with one reference citing October 16 in the Bronx, New York, and others citing October 19 in Los Angeles[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/gooding-omar-1976) |
| Family | Son of musician-actor Cuba Gooding Sr. and singer Shirley Gooding; younger brother of actor Cuba Gooding Jr.[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/gooding-omar-1976) |
| Signature TV roles | Host of *Wild & Crazy Kids* (Nickelodeon, c. 1990–1992); Earvin Rodman on *Hangin' with Mr. Cooper* (ABC, 1992–1997); Morris "Mo" Tibbs on *Smart Guy* (The WB, 1997–1999)[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/gooding-omar-1976) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/omar_gooding) |
| Signature film role | Sweetpea in *Baby Boy* (2001), directed by John Singleton; he earned critical praise and a Special Mention (with others) at the Locarno International Film Festival[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/omar_gooding) • [1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/gooding-omar-1976) |
| Music | Debut album *The Excuse* released in 2019 under the moniker Big O; later albums include *Succession* (2023) and *Overstand Me* (2025)[3](https://omargooding.net/biography-more) • [4](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/omar-gooding/1659934369) |
| Other work | Producer and writer credits, and a tour with the musical *Redemption of a Dogg*, which chronicled the life of Snoop Dogg[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0328954/) |
## Family background
Gooding was born into a performing family. His father, Cuba Gooding Sr., sang lead for The Main Ingredient, and his mother, Shirley Sullivan, was also a singer; his older brother Cuba Gooding Jr. won an Academy Award for *Jerry Maguire* in 1997.[3](https://omargooding.net/biography-more) In interviews, Gooding has said that as a child he sometimes experienced homelessness, and that the death of his father, who died in April 2017 at the age of 72, pushed him to take his own music seriously.[6](https://www.thehypemagazine.com/2019/07/12/part-1-omar-gooding-opens-up-about-being-homeless-as-a-kid-his-new-album-the-excuse-and-friction-on-the-set-of-baby-boy/) • [7](https://eurweb.com/omar-big-o-gooding-drops-first-solo-rap-album-and-has-a-message-for-mumble-rappers-eur-exclusive/)
He graduated from North Hollywood High School in 1994, by which time he was already working professionally.[8](https://www.silverscreenmag.com/omar-gooding/)
## Early career
Gooding's first screen work came as a child: an appearance in an educational film on crime led to commercials and industrials, and he made a guest shot on the sitcom *Webster* before appearing in sitcoms such as *Empty Nest* and *Just the Ten of Us*.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/omar_gooding) His feature debut came in the [Bill Cosby](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-cosby) film *[Ghost Dad](https://www.edgepedia.org/ghost-dad)* (1990), in which he played Stuart; other film roles did not immediately follow.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/omar_gooding) The role earned him a 1991 [Young Artist Award](https://www.edgepedia.org/young-artist-award) nomination for best young actor in a supporting role in a motion picture, and he also received a Youth in Film Award that year.[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/gooding-omar-1976)
**Television stardom as a teenager.** In 1990 he became one of the original co-hosts of Nickelodeon's *Wild & Crazy Kids*, a children's variety and game show with messy competitions, appearing from about 1990 to 1992; he and his fellow hosts won a 1992 Young Artist Award for outstanding hosts.[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/gooding-omar-1976) • [9](https://thisdayinhistory.ai/event/birth-of-omar-gooding.903779) He then joined *Hangin' with Mr. Cooper* on ABC as Earvin Rodman, one of Mark Curry's students, a role he held from 1992 to 1997 and for which he received Young Artist Award nominations in 1993 and 1994.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/omar_gooding) • [1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/gooding-omar-1976)
When *Hangin' with Mr. Cooper* ended, he moved to *Smart Guy* on The WB, playing Morris "Mo" Tibbs, the gregarious best friend of a basketball star whose younger brother is a genius; the series ran from 1997 to 1999.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/omar_gooding) In a 2021 interview, Gooding recalled that a producer from *Cooper* had first approached him to audition for a bully role, which evolved into the best-friend part. He said the show ended after lead actor [Tahj Mowry](https://www.edgepedia.org/tahj-mowry) sought a pay increase and stopped showing up to filming during the following season; the season was completed, but the show was not renewed.[10](https://www.vladtv.com/article/276770/omar-gooding-on-smart-guy-ending-after-lead-actor-wanted-pay-increase)
## Baby Boy and adult roles
Director John Singleton, who had first recognized the talents of Gooding's brother, cast Gooding as Sweetpea, the title character's buddy, in *Baby Boy* (2001).[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/omar_gooding) Gooding earned critical praise for the part, with several accounts saying he effectively stole the film from its nominal lead, singer-turned-actor [Tyrese Gibson](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyrese-gibson), and the cast received a Special Mention at the 2001 Locarno International Film Festival.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/omar_gooding) • [1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/gooding-omar-1976) Gooding has also described friction on the film's set and has said he missed out on other major film opportunities, including *8 Mile* and *Antwone Fisher*.[6](https://www.thehypemagazine.com/2019/07/12/part-1-omar-gooding-opens-up-about-being-homeless-as-a-kid-his-new-album-the-excuse-and-friction-on-the-set-of-baby-boy/) • [11](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/omar-gooding-reveals-truth-about-smart-guys-cancellation/id1868110727?i=1000772153171)
His later television credits span comedy and drama. He played Malik on UPN's *One on One* (2002–2003) and Demetrius "D.H." Harris on ESPN's *Playmakers* (2003), appeared on HBO's *Deadwood* (as Odell Marchbanks, 2004), in the series *Barbershop* (2005) and *Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.* (as David Mack, 2018), and starred for eight seasons as Anthony Stallworth on [Bounce TV](https://www.edgepedia.org/bounce-tv)'s *Family Time* (2012–2020).[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/gooding-omar-1976) • [12](https://www.metacritic.com/person/omar-gooding/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0328954/) • [13](https://www.issuewire.com/pdf/2021/06/omar-gooding-explores-mental-health-alcoholism-suicide-prevention-and-loneliness-in-new-film-IssueWire.pdf) On Rotten Tomatoes, *Baby Boy* is his highest-rated film at 72 percent, against a low of 6 percent for *Ghost Dad*.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/omar_gooding)
## Music and production
Gooding has worked steadily as a hip-hop artist under the name Big O, releasing his debut album, *The Excuse*, in 2019.[3](https://omargooding.net/biography-more) Apple Music lists the follow-up albums *Succession* (2023) and *Overstand Me* (2025), along with numerous singles.[4](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/omar-gooding/1659934369) Earlier in his career he recorded a version of "Everybody Plays the Fool" with his father and Phil Perry.[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/gooding-omar-1976) He has also toured in the musical *Redemption of a Dogg*, about the life of [Snoop Dogg](https://www.edgepedia.org/snoop-dogg), and has accumulated more than a dozen producer credits on independent films.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0328954/)
## References
1. [Gooding, Omar 1976–, Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television via Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/gooding-omar-1976)
2. [Omar Gooding Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/omar_gooding)
3. [Biography & More, omargooding.net](https://omargooding.net/biography-more)
4. [Omar Gooding, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/omar-gooding/1659934369)
5. [Omar Gooding, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0328954/)
6. [Omar Gooding Opens Up About Being Homeless as a Kid, His New Album and Friction on the Set of Baby Boy, The Hype Magazine (2019)](https://www.thehypemagazine.com/2019/07/12/part-1-omar-gooding-opens-up-about-being-homeless-as-a-kid-his-new-album-the-excuse-and-friction-on-the-set-of-baby-boy/)
7. [Omar 'Big O' Gooding Drops First Solo Rap Album and Has a Message for 'Mumble Rappers', EURweb](https://eurweb.com/omar-big-o-gooding-drops-first-solo-rap-album-and-has-a-message-for-mumble-rappers-eur-exclusive/)
8. [Omar Gooding's Journey To Fame, Silver Screen Magazine (2023)](https://www.silverscreenmag.com/omar-gooding/)
9. [Birth of Omar Gooding, This Day in History](https://thisdayinhistory.ai/event/birth-of-omar-gooding.903779)
10. [Omar Gooding on Smart Guy Ending After Lead Actor Wanted Pay Increase, VladTV (2021)](https://www.vladtv.com/article/276770/omar-gooding-on-smart-guy-ending-after-lead-actor-wanted-pay-increase)
11. [Omar Gooding Reveals Truth About Smart Guy's Cancellation, The Art of Dialogue, Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/omar-gooding-reveals-truth-about-smart-guys-cancellation/id1868110727?i=1000772153171)
12. [Omar Gooding, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/omar-gooding/)
13. [Omar Gooding Explores Mental Health, Alcoholism, Suicide Prevention and Loneliness in New Film, IssueWire (2021)](https://www.issuewire.com/pdf/2021/06/omar-gooding-explores-mental-health-alcoholism-suicide-prevention-and-loneliness-in-new-film-IssueWire.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames G to Go*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license