A minister's son, Sinbad originally intended to be a basketball player until a college knee injury halted his athletic career. A stint in the US Air Force followed before the aspiring comic pursued show business. After his initial success on the small screen, he made his film debut as a stand-up comedian in "That's Adequate" (1989). His first acting role of note was as one of the football players in "Necessary Roughness" (1991). Small roles in "Coneheads" and "Meteor Man" (both 1993) followed before Sinbad landed his first starring role in "Houseguest" (1995). He demonstrated a genial, engaging quality as a dreamer whose schemes generally backfire, playing well off co-star Phil Hartman. He was again well-cast in "First Kid" (1996), as a Secret Service agent who befriends the President's neglected son. Later that year, Sinbad was a postal worker who proved to be Arnold Schwarzenegger's rival in obtaining an in-demand toy in the Christmas-themed "Jingle All the Way".