These days, Cuba Gooding Jr. hardly has time to come up for air.

Before he arrived in Calgary to film the screwball comedy Rat Race, he had already completed three major films.

He's one of the stars of Jerry Bruckheimer's $200-million US war film Pearl Harbor.

"I play Dorie Miller," says Gooding.

"He was a cook who ended up being the first African-American to be awarded the Navy Cross.

"He shot down two of the seven Japanese planes that were downed in the battle of Pearl Harbor."

Miller is one of two African-American heroes portrayed by Gooding.

On Nov. 10, he stars as Carl Brashear in Men of Honor.

"I've never been more proud of a movie than I am of Men of Honor. He was the first African-American to be accepted into the elite Navy Dive School.

"It was in 1952, just after the military had been integrated, and he faced incredible odds, but eventually was awarded the Navy's highest honours for an enlisted man."

Gooding endured some incredible odds himself.

"The dive suits weigh 220 pounds. It takes 45 minutes to get in one and 45 minutes to get out.

"I had to do a great deal of swimming and diving and a lot of it had to be me."

Gooding dug in his heels when 20th Century Fox refused to hire the actor's longtime friend and double Robert Teitel.

"We're a team," explains Gooding. "They don't get me without Robert."

Gooding plays a drug dealer opposite James Caan and Matthew Modine in In The Shadows, about a stunt man who gets marked by a hit man.

He also provides the voice of Duke the Pony Express Horse in Disney's animated film Sweating Bullets.

"I just did my first voice session four months ago. I think the film is scheduled for summer 2004.

"It was like doing stand-up comedy. I was in the sound booth delivering my lines. I could see the crew laughing, but couldn't hear them. Now that was weird."


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