Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade (born October 29, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in The Brothers (2001), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), Bad Boys II (2003), Daddy's Little Girls (2007), Think Like a Man (2012), Think Like a Man Too (2014), and the remake of Cheaper by the Dozen (2022). She also starred as the lead in the BET drama series Being Mary Jane (2013-2019), for which she has received an NAACP Image Award, and in the crime series L.A.'s Finest (2019-2020) - a spinoff series for her character Syd in Bad Boys II.. She also had starring roles in the CBS medical drama series City of Angels (2000) and in the films Cradle 2 the Grave (2003), Neo Ned (2005), Cadillac Records (2008), Top Five (2014), Breaking In (2018), and The Perfect Find (2023). She has also co-starred in the films The Birth of a Nation (2016), Almost Christmas (2016), and Sleepless (2017). In high school, Union was an all-star point guard in basketball and a year-round athlete, also playing in soccer and running track. She went on to the University of Nebraska before moving on to Cuesta College. She eventually transferred to UCLA and earned a degree in sociology. While studying there, she interned at the Judith Fontaine Modeling & Talent Agency to earn extra academic credits. Invited by the agency's owner, Judith Fontaine, she started working as a model to pay off college loans. Her career began in the 1990s, when she made dozens of appearances on TV sitcoms prior to landing supporting roles in 1999 teen films She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You. She rose to greater prominence the following year, after she landed her breakthrough role in the teen film Bring It On. Bring It On helped push her into the mainstream and she began gaining more exposure. She was cast in her first leading role in the 2003 film Deliver Us from Eva with rapper L.L. Cool J. In 2003, she landed the role of Will Smith's girlfriend/Martin Lawrence's sister Sydney Burnett in the film Bad Boys II, and she starred with Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx in the film Breakin' All the Rules in 2004. She then starred in the short-lived 2005 ABC series Night Stalker. She has also starred in the independent drama films Neo Ned and Constellation, the latter of which was released to theaters. She won an award for Best Actress in Neo Ned at the Palm Beach International Film Festival, and the film received awards at several festivals. Outside of acting, she has written four books: two memoirs, titled We're Going to Need More Wine (2017) and You Got Anything Stronger? (2021), and two children's books, titled Welcome to the Party (2020), and Shady Baby (2021).
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · Riff Raff as Sandy
- 2024 · Space Cadet as Pam Proctor
- 2023 · Handsome Podcast as Self
- 2023 · The Perfect Find as Jenna Jones
- 2023 · Gabrielle Union: My Journey to 50 as Self
- 2022 · Strange World as Meridian Clade (voice)
- 2022 · StoryBots: Answer Time as
- 2022 · The Inspection as Inez French
- 2022 · The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self
- 2022 · Cheaper by the Dozen as Zoey Baker
- 2021 · Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes as Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey
- 2021 · Adele One Night Only as Self
- 2020 · The Drew Barrymore Show as Self
- 2020 · Fearless as General Blazerhatch (voice)
- 2020 · Sesame Street Elmo's Playdate: Scavenger Hunt as
- 2019 · Truth Be Told as Eva Pierre
- 2019 · The Kelly Clarkson Show as
- 2019 · Tamron Hall as Self - Guest
- 2019 · A Black Lady Sketch Show as Gabrielle Union
- 2019 · L.A.'s Finest as Syd Burnett
- 2019 · The Public as
- 2019 · Desus & Mero as Self - Illustrious Guest
- 2018 · Red Table Talk as Self
- 2018 · Breaking In as Shaun Russell
- 2017 · The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar as Nala (voice)
- 2017 · Sleepless as Dena
- 2016 · Almost Christmas as Rachel
- 2016 · The Birth of a Nation as Esther
- 2016 · The Lion Guard as Nala (voice)
- 2015 · The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar as Nala (voice)
- 2015 · The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as
- 2015 · Hot Ones as Self
- 2015 · With This Ring as Kitty
- 2014 · Top Five as Erica Long
- 2014 · Think Like a Man Too as Kristen
- 2014 · Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- 2014 · The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- 2013 · Being Mary Jane as Mary Jane Paul
- 2013 · The Door as She
- 2013 · Miss Dial as Long Story Caller
- 2012 · In Our Nature as Vicky
- 2012 · Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide as Self
- 2012 · Think Like a Man as Kristen
- 2012 · Good Deeds as Natalie
- 2011 · NTSF:SD:SUV:: as Sandy Canyons
- 2010 · Conan as Self
- 2009 · FlashForward as Zoey Andata
- 2009 · Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- 2008 · Cadillac Records as Geneva Wade
- 2008 · Meet Dave as No. 3 - Cultural Officer
- 2007 · The Perfect Holiday as Nancy Taylor
- 2007 · Life as Jane Seever
- 2007 · Daddy's Little Girls as Julia Rossmore
- 2007 · Constellation as Carmel Boxer
- 2007 · The Box as Cris Romano
- 2006 · Running with Scissors as Dorothy
- 2006 · Ugly Betty as Renee Slater
- 2006 · Say Uncle as Elise Carter
- 2006 · America's Got Talent as Self - Judge
- 2005 · The Reichen Show as Self
- 2005 · Night Stalker as Perri Reed
- 2005 · The Honeymooners as Alice Kramden
- 2005 · Neo Ned as Rachael
- 2004 · The Tony Danza Show as Self
- 2004 · Something the Lord Made as Clara Thomas
- 2004 · Breakin' All the Rules as Nikki
- 2004 · On Air with Ryan Seacrest as Self
- 2003 · Hustle and Heat as Masked Woman
- 2003 · Bad Boys II as Syd
- 2003 · Cradle 2 the Grave as Daria
- 2003 · Deliver Us from Eva as Evangeline 'Eva' Dandrige
- 2003 · Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- 2002 · Abandon as Amanda Luttrell
- 2002 · Welcome to Collinwood as Michelle
- 2001 · The Proud Family as Sunny Stevens / Iesha (voice)
- 2001 · Two Can Play That Game as Conny Spalding
- 2001 · The Brothers as Denise Johnson
- 2000 · Bring It On as Isis
- 2000 · Love & Basketball as Shawnee
- 2000 · City of Angels as Courtney Ellis
- 1999 · The Early Show as Self
- 1999 · H.E. Double Hockey Sticks as Gabrielle
- 1999 · The West Wing as Meeshel Anders
- 1999 · Grown Ups as
- 1999 · 10 Things I Hate About You as Chastity
- 1999 · Family Guy as Shauna Parks (voice)
- 1999 · She's All That as Katie
- 1997 · City Guys as
- 1997 · The View as Self - Guest
- 1997 · Smart Guy as
- 1996 · Jungle Cubs as
- 1996 · Clueless as
- 1996 · 7th Heaven as Keesha Hamilton
- 1996 · Goode Behavior as Tracy Monaghan
- 1996 · The Steve Harvey Show as Naomi Parson
- 1996 · The Daily Show as Self
- 1996 · Moesha as
- 1994 · Friends as Kirsten Lang
- 1994 · ER as Tamara Davis
- 1994 · Sister, Sister as Vanessa
- 1993 · Dave's World as Carly
- 1993 · Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
- 1993 · Saved by the Bell: The New Class as Hilary
- 1993 · Saved by the Bell: The New Class as Jennifer
- 1993 · Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as N'Garen
- 1992 · The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as
- 1988 · LIVE with Kelly and Mark as
- 1988 · LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self - Guest
- Future · Sorcerority as
- Future · The Casket Girls as Detective Shay Williams