Gabrielle Union
Actor, Producer
29 October 1972 (53 years)
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).
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
Filmography
| 2026 | Forbidden Fruits · as Sharon |
| 2026 | GOAT · as Jett Fillmore (voice) |
| 2024 | Riff Raff · as Sandy |
| 2024 | Space Cadet · as Pam Proctor |
| 2023 | The Perfect Find · as Jenna Jones |
| 2022 | The Inspection · as Inez FrenchOn Plex |
| 2022 | Strange World · as Meridian Clade (voice) |
| 2022 | |
| 2022 | Cheaper by the Dozen · as Zoey Baker |
| 2022 | The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder · as Talia (voice) |
| 2021 | Live in Front of a Studio Audience: 'The Facts of Life' and 'Diff'rent Strokes' · as Dorothy "tootie" Ramsey |
| 2020 | |
| 2020 | Fearless · as General Blazerhatch (voice) |
| 2019 | Truth Be Told · as Eva Pierre |
| 2019 | L.A.'s Finest · as Syd Burnett |
| 2018 | The Public · as Rebecca Parks |
| 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 |
| 2015 | The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar · as Nala (voice) |
| 2015 | The Lion Guard · as Nala (voice) |
| 2015 | |
| 2015 | With This Ring · as Kitty |
| 2014 | Top Five · as Erica Long |
| 2014 | Think Like a Man Too · as Kristen |
| 2013 | Being Mary Jane · as Mary Jane Paul |
| 2013 | Miss Dial · as Long Story Caller |
| 2012 | In Our Nature · as Vicky |
| 2012 | Think Like a Man · as Kristen |
| 2012 | Good Deeds · as Natalie |
| 2011 | NTSF:SD:SUV:: · as Sandy Canyons |
| 2011 | Little in Common · as Brooke Burleson |
| 2009 | FlashForward · as Zoey Andata |
| 2009 | Body Politic · as Jessica Sharp |
| 2008 | Cadillac Records · as Geneva Wade |
| 2008 | Meet Dave · as No. 3 - Cultural Officer |
| 2007 | The Perfect Holiday · as Nancy Taylor |
| 2007 | Life (2007) · as Jane Seever |
| 2007 | Army Wives · as Gina Holt |
| 2007 | Daddy's Little Girls · as Julia Rossmore |
| 2007 | The Box · as Cris Romano |
| 2006 | Running with Scissors · as Dorothy |
| 2006 | Ugly Betty · as Renee Slater |
| 2005 | Constellation · as Carmel Boxer |
| 2005 | Night Stalker · as Perri Reed |
| 2005 | Say Uncle · as Elise Carter |
| 2005 | The Honeymooners · as Alice Kramden |
| 2005 | Neo Ned · as Rachael |
| 2004 | Something the Lord Made · as Clara Thomas |
| 2004 | Breakin' All the Rules · as Nikki |
| 2003 | Ride or Die · 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 |
| 2002 | Welcome to Collinwood · as Michelle |
| 2002 | Abandon · as Amanda Luttrell |
| 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 | The Others · as Lindsay |
| 2000 | City of Angels · as Courtney Ellis |
| 1999 | H-E Double Hockey Sticks · as Gabrielle |
| 1999 | The West Wing · as Meeshel Anders |
| 1999 | Grown Ups · as FeliciaOn Plex |
| 1999 | 10 Things I Hate About You · as Chastity |
| 1999 | Family Guy · as Shauna Parks (voice) |
| 1999 | She's All That · as Katie |
| 1999 | Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane · as Lana |
| 1998 | 1973 · as Renee |
| 1997 | |
| 1997 | Hitz · as Soul |
| 1997 | Smart Guy · as Lydia |
| 1996 | |
| 1996 | |
| 1996 | Goode Behavior · as Tracy Monaghan |
| 1996 | 7th Heaven · as Keesha Hamilton |
| 1996 | The Steve Harvey Show · as Naomi Parson |
| 1996 | Malibu Shores · as Shannon Everette |
| 1996 | Moesha · as Ashli |
| 1994 | Friends · as Kirsten Lang |
| 1994 | ER · as Tamara Davis |
| 1994 | Sister, Sister · as Shawn |
| 1993 | Dave's World · as Carly |
| 1993 | Saved by the Bell: The New Class · as Hilary |
| 1993 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine · as N'garen |
| 1992 | |
| 1989 | Family Matters · as Mall Girl |
| 2024 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2023 | Gabrielle Union: My Journey to 50 · as Executive Producer |
| 2022 | The Inspection · as Executive ProducerOn Plex |
| 2022 | Cheaper by the Dozen · as Executive Producer |
| 2019 | Hair Love · as Associate Producer |
| 2019 | L.A.'s Finest · as Executive Producer |
| 2018 | |
| 2016 | Almost Christmas · as Executive Producer |
| 2015 | With This Ring · as Executive Producer |
| 2013 | Being Mary Jane · as Executive Producer |