Cuba Gooding Jr is here for Optus but he still spent hours taking photos with fans

NORMALLY when A-list stars visit Sydney, they’re surrounded by security, ushered from private car to roped-off VIP area and party with their entourage in exclusive locations — but not Cuba Gooding Jr.

NORMALLY when A-list stars visit Sydney, they’re surrounded by security, ushered from private car to roped-off VIP area and party with their entourage in exclusive locations — but not Cuba Gooding Jr.

The Hollywood star has been a man of the people since he arrived in Sydney on Thursday, crashing work Christmas parties, spending hours taking selfies with fans and parking himself at outdoor tables in plain sight of passers-by.

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr is in Sydney to film Optus advertisements. Picture: Simon Bullard

“I’ve been walking the streets. We got here yesterday and were walking all around the city going into different places and taking pictures with people on the beach,” he told Confidential.

“I went to a restaurant that has an outside table and I just sat and chilled for four hours and so many people were coming up, it was great, it was fun.

“Tomorrow we’re going to get a sea plane and then we’re going to do a yacht on another day, we’re going to do it all.”

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A man of the people: He stopped with a number of fans for selfies. Picture: Instagram

The last time he was in Australia was back in 1993. He was promoting the film Lightning Jack alongside Paul Hogan. Picture: Supplied

Confidential heard the 49-year-old spent hours people-watching at Ravesi’s in Bondi before crashing multiple Christmas parties, including one at the Kings Cross Hotel on Thursday night, to the delight of local workers.

Gooding Jr is in Sydney for the next few days filming another campaign with Optus to promote the telco’s partnership with the Seven network to offer data-free streaming of live sporting events.

“It’s so cool, I get offered stuff all the time to be spokesman for corporations and products and when I come in it doesn't feel organic. So when Optus came to me and said ‘we’re excited about it and your excitement is what we want’, that was different. A lot of times people can misinterpret my energy as ‘he’s crazy, he’s a nut, or he’s too much’ but when it’s done the right way it’s fun.”

The star is here for both business and pleasure. Picture: Simon Bullard

Gooding Jr was last in Sydney 24 years ago filming Lightning Jack with Paul Hogan. His greatest memory of that time was hanging at Hoges’ property.

“He had a ranch and we would go fishing and he would be shooting the water and I’d think ‘I’m not gonna catch anything while he’s shooting’, and riding quad bikes through his acres of property. It was a magical time, it was cool.”