Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Oscars acceptance speech in 1997 nearly got cut short when the orchestra began playing, but the overjoyed actor continued to shout over the music which resulted in him earning a round of applause.

Ahead of the 96th Oscars ceremony officially taking place next week, we reflect on Cuba Gooding Jr.’s iconic acceptance speech after winning Best Supporting Actor for his role in 1996’s Jerry Maguire movie at the 69th Annual Academy Awards.

Oscars orchestra tried to play Cuba Gooding Jr. off-stage

Cuba Gooding Jr, after his breakthrough role as Tre Styles in Boyz n the Hood, won big at the awards show for Best Supporting Actor playing a football star in Jerry Maguire.

The celebrity won the award for his portrayal of Rod Tidwell, the Arizona Cardinals football player who sticks with sports agent Jerry Maguire.

American actress Mira Sorvino presented him with the award as he took the stage to start his acceptance speech.

However, Cuba only got as far as thanking his wife, children, parents, and God before the orchestra began playing.

After ignoring his hint to exit the stage, the actor’s speech only got louder as he shouted over the music and joked: “Oh, here we go!”

Cuba began to list everybody involved in the movie, telling important people that he loves them, while excitedly yelling at the top of his voice.

The speech resulted in a round of applause from the Oscars audience, with the camera panning to fellow stars such as Tom Cruise and Will Smith.

Cuba Gooding Jr. finished his speech jumping around the stage while holding his trophy and punching his fist into the air. It sure seemed like a proud moment for him.

Fans admire the star for not backing down

In the comment section of the viral YouTube video, one fan wrote: “Usually music played during an acceptance speech ruins it… In this case, the music only amplified his awesome speech.”

Another viewer commented: “Maybe not the most profound Oscar speech ever, but without question my favorite. That’s how you celebrate being given the biggest award in your profession: unbridled joy.”

Born on 2 January 1968 in The Bronx, New York, Cuba Gooding Jr. is now age 56 years old and has since taken his career toward Broadway and music, according to his Instagram posts.

The 96th Oscars ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 10 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and officially starts at 7 pm ET.

Wondering where to watch? The awards show will air live on ABC and be available to stream online via ABC.com and the ABC app provided the user has a cable subscription.

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