Gabrielle Union
Born Gabrielle Monique Union
October 29, 1972
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Alma mater UCLA
Occupation Actress
Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade (born October 29, 1972) is an American actress, activist, and author. She began her career in the 1990s, appearing on television sitcoms, before landing supporting roles in teenage comedic films She’s All That and 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). Her breakthrough role was in the 2000 film Bring It On.
Union is also known for her performances in the romantic comedy films The Brothers (2001), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), Daddy’s Little Girls (2007), Think Like a Man (2012) and Think Like a Man Too (2014). She also had starring roles in CBS medical drama series City of Angels (2000) and films Bad Boys II (2003), Cradle 2 the Grave (2003), the critically acclaimed Neo Ned (2005), Cadillac Records (2008), Top Five (2014) and Breaking In (2018). In 2013, Union began starring as lead character in the BET drama series Being Mary Jane, for which she has received critical acclaim and an NAACP Image Award. She co-starred in the 2016 film The Birth of a Nation, and next appeared in Almost Christmas (2016) and Sleepless (2017).
Union is also the author of a memoir, We’re Going to Need More Wine (2017), and an activist who works on issues around women’s health and violence against women.
Gabrielle Union was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the daughter of Theresa (Glass), a phone company manager and social worker, and Sylvester E. Union, a business executive and military sergeant. She was raised Catholic. During her childhood, she was taught to be “an independent woman, standing on my own two feet, and that’s the road I opted to take.” According to Union, her mother taught her to have a “world perspective” and took her to a gay pride parade at the age of eight after the family moved to Pleasanton, California, where she attended Foothill High School.
Her parents divorced after 30 years of marriage. Union has said, “They handled their divorce and our subsequent transition into a blended family with grace and dignity and respect. They always put us first and didn’t involve us. I’m lucky that I can just mirror what my parents did and always put the kids first. They’re pretty awesome. I’m lucky.
Union has said her personality as a young person was “mean” until her trainer A.J. Johnson confronted her over the behavior during a party the two were attending.
In 1992, at the age of 19, Union was attacked and raped at her part-time job at a Payless shoe store by a robber. Union has stated that she would not have survived the attack had it not been for lessons she learned by watching Oprah Winfrey’s talk show. She later successfully sued Payless for negligence, alleging that the store failed to warn employees about the assailant, who had been positively identified robbing another Payless location prior to her rape.
She starred in the 2005 remake of The Honeymooners with comedian Cedric The Entertainer. Union starred in the short-lived ABC series Night Stalker. She called the series a “reworking” rather than a remake. Union admitted that at the time of getting the script, she was turned off, but became interested after reading the script at her agent’s insistence. She then met with series creator Frank Spotnitz and executive producer Daniel Sackheim, who told her they thought of her anytime they thought of the character. In 2006, she starred as Busta Rhymes’ love interest in the music video for Rhymes’ “I Love My Chick”
Personal life
While in high school, Union dated future NBA player Jason Kidd. Union has said Kidd broke up with her two weeks before junior prom. Union met NFL player Chris Howard at a party in 1999. They married on May 5, 2001, and separated in October 2005. The divorce was finalized in 2006. Union said that when she got divorced she “sort of realized that she hadn’t been making sound choices which were the best for her to pursue her hopes and dreams and aspirations and passions.” In a 2014 interview, Union stated that she may have rushed into the relationship for the wrong reasons, noting that, “in my 20s, I was all about getting the ring.” Union had earlier reflected that she spent much of the marriage “upset” and from the relationship, she realized that the men in her life were “just human.”
In 2009, Union began dating NBA player Dwyane Wade. According to Wade, he and Union briefly split up at some point early in 2013 because of career demands. The couple reconciled and became engaged in December 2013, shortly after Wade’s third child was born with a long-time friend. Union married Wade on August 30, 2014, in Miami, Florida, becoming stepmother to his three children. Union stated in an interview prior to the marriage that she and Wade would be signing a prenuptial agreement to protect their individual assets. Union and Wade spent their honeymoon in the Maldives and Tanzania.
Filmography
Film
1999 She’s All That Katarina “Katie” Darlingson
1999 10 Things I Hate About You Chastity Church
1999 H-E Double Hockey Sticks Gabrielle
2000 Love & Basketball Shawnee
2000 Bring It On Isis Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress
2001 The Brothers Denise Johnson Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress
2001 Two Can Play That Game Conny Spalding
2002 Welcome to Collinwood Michelle
2002 Abandon Amanda Luttrell
2003 Deliver Us from Eva Evangeline “Eva” Dandrige BET Comedy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Box Office Movie
Nominated—BET Award for Best Actress
Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Actress
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
2003 Cradle 2 the Grave Daria Nominated—BET Award for Best Actress
2003 Ride or Die Masked Woman Cameo
2003 Bad Boys II Sydney “Syd” Burnett Nominated—BET Award for Best Actress
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
2004 Breakin’ All the Rules Nicky Callas Nominated—BET Comedy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Box Office Movie
Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Actress, Musical or Comedy
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
2005 Neo Ned Rachael Palm Beach International Film Festival Award for Best Actress
2005 The Honeymooners Alice Kramden Nominated—BET Comedy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Theatrical Film
2005 Say Uncle Elise Carter
2006 Running with Scissors Dorothy
2007 Constellation Carmel Boxer
2007 Daddy’s Little Girls Julia Rossmore
2007 The Box Det. Cris Romano
2007 The Perfect Holiday Nancy Taylor
2008 Meet Dave Number 3
2008 Cadillac Records Geneva Wade
2012 Good Deeds Natalie
2012 Think Like a Man Kristen Nominated—BET Award for Best Actress
2012 In Our Nature Vicki Nominated—BET Award for Best Actress
2013 Miss Dial Long Story Caller
2013 The Door She Short film
2014 Think Like a Man Too Kristen Nominated—BET Award for Best Actress
2014 Top Five Erica Long Nominated—BET Award for Best Actress
2015 With This Ring Kitty
2016 The Birth of a Nation[115] Esther Nominated—BET Award for Best Actress
2016 Almost Christmas[116] Rachel Meyers
2017 Sleepless[117] Dena Smith
2017 Girls Trip Herself
2018 The Public Rebecca Parks
2018 Breaking In Shaun Russell Also producer
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1993 Family Matters Mall girl (credited) Episode: “Scenes
a Mall”
1995/96 Saved by the Bell: The New Class Hilary / Jennifer 2 episodes
1996 Moesha Ashli Episode: “Friends”
Malibu Shores Shannon Everette Episode: “The Competitive Edge”
Goode Behavior Tracy Monaghan 3 episodes
1996–1999 7th Heaven Keesha Hamilton 5 episodes
1997 Smart Guy Lydia Episode: “Don’t Do That Thing You Do”
Dave’s World Carly Episode: “Oh Dad, Poor Dad”
Hitz Soul Episode: “The Godfather: Not the Movie”
Sister, Sister Shawn / Vanessa 3 episodes
City Guys Katisha Grant Episode: “The Date”
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine N’Garen Episode: “Sons and Daughters”
1998 The Steve Harvey Show Naomi Parson Episode: “The He-Man, Player-Hater’s Club”
1998/99 Clueless Lydia / Rebecca 2 episodes
1999 Grown Ups Felicia Episode: “Pilot”
2000 ER Tamara Davis Episode: “Family Matters”
The Others Lindsay Episode: “Theta”
Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane Lana Episode: “Too Much Pressure”
City of Angels Dr. Courtney Ellis 11 episodes
2001 Close to Home Gabby Pilot
Friends Kristen Lang Episode: “The One With The Cheap Wedding Dress”
2003 The Proud Family Sunny Stevens / Iesha (voice) Episode: “Hooray for Iesha”
2004 The West Wing Meeshel Anders Episode: “The Benign Prerogative”
Something the Lord Made Clara Thomas Television film
Nominated—BET Award for Best Actress
Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress: Television Movie/Cable
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
2005 Family Guy Shauna Parks (voice) Episode: “Peter’s Got Woods”
2005–2006 Night Stalker Perri Reed 10 episodes
2007 Football Wives Chardonnay Lane Pilot
2008 Ugly Betty Renee Slater 3 episodes
2009 Life Jane Seever 4 episodes
2009–2010 FlashForward Zoey Andata 9 episodes
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
2010 Army Wives Gina Holt Episode: “Murder in Charleston”
2011 NTSF:SD:SUV Sandy Canyons Episode: “Tijuana, We’ve Got a Problem”
2012 Half the Sky Herself Documentary
2013–present Being Mary Jane Mary Jane Paul Main role
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special (2014)
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series (2015–2016)
Nominated—BET Award for Best Actress (2014–2015)
Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Actress: T.V. Movie/Cable (2014)
2015 With This Ring Kitty Television film
2015 The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar Nala (voice) Television film
2016–present The Lion Guard Nala (voice) 11 episodes
TBA LA’s Finest Sydney “Syd” Burnett Main role
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