Cuba Gooding Channels O.J. Simpson On 'American Crime Story' Set In L.A. –– 10 New Shocking Shots From Filming
![Cuba Gooding O.J. Simpson Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bsQgrQUY5/480x251/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg?position=top 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bsQgrQUY5/640x335/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg?position=top 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bsQgrQUY5/768x402/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg?position=top 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bsQgrQUY5/1024x536/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg?position=top 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bsQgrQUY5/1280x670/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg?position=top 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bsQgrQUY5/1440x753/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg?position=top 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bsQgrQUY5/1600x837/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg?position=top 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bsQgrQUY5/2160x1130/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg?position=top 2160w)
May 22 2015, Published 9:54 a.m. ET
Cuba Gooding Jr. was snapped filming American Crime Story: The People V OJ Simpson in Encino, Calif. Wednesday, playing the lead role of the disgraced athlete/actor.
![Cuba Gooding O.J. Simpson Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/_stCnsShd/480x270/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/_stCnsShd/640x360/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/_stCnsShd/768x432/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/_stCnsShd/1024x576/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/_stCnsShd/1280x720/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/_stCnsShd/1440x810/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/_stCnsShd/1600x900/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/_stCnsShd/2160x1215/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos.jpg 2160w)
![Cuba Gooding O.J. Simpson Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/kSkla73-n/392x500/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos-01.jpg 392w)
A shirtless Gooding showed off his abs in a pair of blue boxers while filming the miniseries about the "Trial of the Century."
![Cuba Gooding O.J. Simpson Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/KvbuSRWCb/369x500/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos-02.jpg 369w)
Crew members surrounded the actor, who also played a football player in 1996's Jerry Maguire, a year after the actual legal proceedings occurred.
![Cuba Gooding O.J. Simpson Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/xS_wGDG0T/382x500/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos-03.jpg 382w)
The Selma star peeks inside a black SUV on the sunny spring day.
![Cuba Gooding O.J. Simpson Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/URbMtb4i6/363x500/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos-04.jpg 363w)
Gooding didn't get a ringing endorsement from the man he's playing, Simpson's pal Norman Pardo told The National ENQUIRER.
![Cuba Gooding O.J. Simpson Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/hkBZqfpL_/359x500/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos-06.jpg 359w)
According to Pardo, "O.J. was left with his mouth open when they picked Cuba; He said, 'Why would they choose somebody like that to play me?'"
![Cuba Gooding O.J. Simpson Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/RndDCuk96/357x499/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos-09.jpg 357w)
Simpson would have preferred Denzel Washington get the role, according to his friend.
![Cuba Gooding O.J. Simpson Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/qJbzLRdPU/364x500/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos-05.jpg 364w)
One sticking point was that Washington, at 6-foot-1, towers over the 5-foot-10 Gooding, Pardo said.
![Cuba Gooding O.J. Simpson Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/zrNcpi9TD/368x500/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos-10.jpg 368w)
Gooding, Pardo said, "makes for a good comedian, but not a serious-looking football player -- he's just too small for the job."
![Cuba Gooding O.J. Simpson Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/oLD-Upz42/408x500/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos-07.jpg 408w)
The eagerly-anticpated film also features John Travolta as Simpson attorney Robert Shapiro, David Schwimmer as Simpson confidante Robert Kardashian, and Selma Blair as Kardashian's ex-wife Kris Jenner.
![Cuba Gooding O.J. Simpson Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/fUALI70Hh/400x500/2015/05/cuba-gooding-o-j-simpson-american-crime-story-photos-08.jpg 400w)
The Ryan Murphy-created production is slated to air on FX next year.