Omar Gooding

Growing up in a household that included parents who were successful singers and an older brother who eventually won an Academy Award could prove daunting for anyone with show business ambitions. Still, the tall, affable Omar Gooding has managed to carve a niche as a successful TV presence, moving from teen roles to slightly more adult fare. As a child, he appeared in an educational film on crime which led to work in commercials and industrials. He segued to the small screen with a guest shot on the sitcom "Webster" and subsequently made numerous other appearance in sitcoms like "Empty Nest" and "Just the Ten of Us." Although he made his feature acting debut in the Bill Cosby vehicle "Ghost Dad" (1990), other roles weren't forthcoming. Gooding landed the task of co-hosting the popular Nickelodeon show "Wild & Crazy Kids" in 1990 and then had the first of several recurring roles on comedy series like "Blossom" and "The Royal Family." He had the more or less regular role of Earvin Rodman, one of Mark Curry's students, in the ABC sitcom "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper" (1992-97). When that show ended, he quickly found a new role as a gregarious high school pal of a basketball star (Jason Weaver) whose younger brother is a genius in "Smart Guy" (The WB, 1997-99). Gooding was tapped by director John Singleton -- who first recognized the talents of Cuba Gooding -- to play a pivotal role as the title character's buddy in the film "Baby Boy" (2001). He earned critical praise for the role and essentially stole the film from nominal lead singer-turned-actor Tyrese Gibson.