Mason Gooding

Mason Gooding is an American actor known for playing energetic, emotionally open young men in contemporary film and television. He was born on November 14, 1996, in Los Angeles, California, and is the son of Academy Award-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. and Sara Kapfer. Rather than beginning with a major leading role, Gooding built his screen career through smaller parts before gaining wider recognition. His breakthrough came with the television series Love, Victor, which premiered on Hulu in 2020 before moving to Disney+ internationally. The series, set in the world established by the film Love, Simon, follows Victor Salazar, a high-school student exploring his sexuality and family relationships. Gooding played Andrew, a popular student whose confident exterior gradually reveals insecurity and emotional vulnerability. He remained part of the main cast throughout the show’s three-season run, which concluded in 2022. Gooding also appeared in Olivia Wilde’s 2019 coming-of-age comedy Booksmart. The film centers on two academically focused seniors, played by Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein, who decide to attend one final party before graduation. Gooding portrayed Nick Howland, a charismatic student whom one of the protagonists idealizes. The role placed him among a large ensemble that included Billie Lourd, Skyler Gisondo, and Diana Silvers. In horror, Gooding became especially recognizable as Chad Meeks-Martin in Scream (2022), directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Chad is the athletic twin brother of Mindy Meeks-Martin, played by Jasmin Savoy Brown, and the nephew of Randy Meeks from the original Scream films. Gooding returned as Chad in Scream VI (2023), which moved the surviving characters from Woodsboro to New York City. His performance combined the franchise’s self-aware humor with Chad’s determination to protect his friends. His other film credits include the romantic comedy I Want You Back, released by Amazon Studios in 2022, in which he played Trevor, and the thriller Fall, also released in 2022, where he portrayed Dan Connor. Gooding later appeared in the comedy-horror film Y2K, directed by Kyle Mooney and released in 2024. Across these projects, he has worked in ensemble comedies, teen dramas, romantic stories, and established horror franchises. His career is notable for moving between television and film while repeatedly taking roles that balance outward confidence with personal uncertainty.