Mason Gooding, the son of Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr., reflected on how his father’s career shaped their relationship, saying the “Jerry Maguire” star was “different” at home than he was in public.
“I know as a kid whose father was an actor and grandfather was a singer, I have probably a stronger relationship in understanding based on who they were publicly than who they were privately,” Gooding shared on Tuesday’s “The Wildmen Podcast.” “And it wasn’t until I was older, that they could, well, not my grandfather – God rest his soul – but like my dad would have been able to articulate like a lot of the lessons I learned as a kid.”
He continued: “‘Cause when you’re a parent who’s an actor and you’re gone for so long, then you come back, you try to like, the word would be like, speed-parent, ’cause you come in for a week, and you’re like, ‘Why is the f–k is that broken? Why are you failing school? Why are you fighting?’”
Gooding explained that this dynamic perplexed him as a child, adding, “I didn’t really understand that relationship. Because I was like, ‘You’re so positive and charismatic in these interviews and then you come home and it’s a different guy.’”
However, Gooding shared that he had more empathy for his dad now that he’s an adult and an actor himself.
“You want to know what the an actor’s worst fear is?” Gooding said. “An actor’s worst fear is, categorically, is that you f–kin leave your home for three, four months out of the year and you delve into this character – maybe you’ll talk on the phone to your wife or your husband or your kids or whatever – but while you’re gone and while you’re doing those things, time does not stop back home. Everything continues. And you’ll come home and people will be like, “Oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah, this is what you missed.’”
Host Dylan Sprouse co-signed this theory, sharing he saw his brother, actor Cole Sprouse, struggle with being left out while filming The CW’s “Riverdale” for seven seasons.
Gooding is the son of “Boyz n the Hood” star and his ex-wife Sara Kapfer, who he split from in 2014 after welcoming three children together.
A representative for Gooding Jr. did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
The post Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Son Recalls Struggling to Understand His Dad’s Public Persona as a Child: ‘It’s a Different Guy’ appeared first on TheWrap.
