Common-Sense Gods to Ryan Murphy, director of the soon-to-shoot FX miniseries The People vs. O.J. Simpson: While Sarah Paulson seems an excellent choice to play Simpson murder trial prosecutor Marcia Clark, Cuba Gooding as Simpson sounds fucking awful. It might even be ludicrous. The midsized Gooding (around 5′ 10″) played a football player in Jerry Maguire, of course, but he doesn’t have that agile, broad-shouldered, brawny big-guy quality that Simpson (who stands around 6′ 2″) had in his prime. Plus you need a square-jawed, Fred Williamson– or Robert Hooks-resembling actor who can deliver that cool, studly, possibly malicious vibe…a guy who just might have an Othello complex going on inside. Gooding doesn’t have the vibe at all. He’s about charm, smiles and occasional glares, but he’s not a rage-aholic. Has Gooding ever killed anyone in a film? If he has I don’t remember, and if he hasn’t there’s a good reason. You know who Gooding should play? Al Cowlings, the guy who drove O.J. around the L.A. freeway system that day in the white Bronco. Cowlings was O.J.’s sensible, mellow friend, right? Gooding could do that in his sleep.