Hollywood’s Mr Enthusiasm really put his positive energy to the test in Men Of Honor. In the true-life military drama, Cuba Gooding Jr plays Carl Brashear, the first African-American ever to become a Master Chief diver, back in the 50s. This not only involved learning how to manoeuvre, on land and in the sea, in the clunky, heavy diving suits of the time, but having Robert De Niro constantly in his face as his racist petty officer. Not unexpectedly, 33-year-old Gooding came through the experience without complaint. Well, with minimal complaint.
Guess you learned some useful new skills for Men Of Honor.
I learned how to hold my breath pretty good, that’s for sure.
Along with?
First, we trained for a couple of weeks at the Diving Institute in Seattle. Then they’d actually stick us in the suits, which weighed about 200 pounds. They’d strap us in with belts and leather and weights. It’s very restrictive; if you’re claustrophobic, just give it up. It takes 45 minutes to get in or out of these suits. And then they lower that 90-pound metal helmet onto your head, and you hear that air from the lifeline coming in at a high-pitched whistle. It hurts your ears.
And when they weren’t physically hurting, your ears were being assaulted by racial slurs.
It was a necessary evil, for sure. Nobody should have to deal with such negative remarks, first of all. But you’re talking to a man who grew up in the High Desert [northeast of Los Angeles], where there was a big faction of the Ku Klux Klan, so I was called “boy” and “nigger” more than I can tell you. I guess I finally put myself in the mentality of, if I can’t change the way you think about people of my race, I can at least make you respect who I am through my actions. So for this movie, in the way my character responds to racism, I didn’t want to play him as an angry man. Actually, this was the first script I’d been sent in which a black man faced racial aggression, came out above it and didn’t have to kill somebody to do it.
Did you spend much time with Carl Brashear?
He was there every single day we were filming. At first I thought, “Oh no, how’s this gonna go?” But he was so supportive. You never even knew he was on the set. That was a real testament to his valour, because he could have stepped in and said, “I never acted that way” or “Why are you doing this?” But he was so open and vulnerable. If I ever had any questions or concerns, he could go on and on telling me stories, just give me whatever I needed.
What about De Niro?
He’s not a real conversationalist. But what’s amazing about him is that he’s got to be one of the most focused actors I’ve ever worked with. He pulls you into his world.
And you’re back in the Navy in your next movie, Pearl Harbour.
Another true-life character, Dorie Miller, who was a steward in the Navy. He never had any formal training, but he jumped on one of the anti-aircraft guns during the raid and took down two Japanese planes.
And there’s more?
Yeah. I worked on Rat Race for Jerry Zucker, a big comedy in the vein of Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Then I was in Alaska shooting this dog-sled comedy, Winterdance.
You’ve really gotta stop just walking through these cushy, no-effort movie roles.
I know! Alaska in January, 19 below, there was this one scene where I fall into a lake… I dunno what I’m doing to myself. I’m insane.