Gabrielle Union | |
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![]() Union in 2018 | |
Born | Gabrielle Monique Union October 29, 1972 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BS) |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1993–present |
Spouses | |
Children | 1 |
Relatives | Saweetie (cousin)[1] |
Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade (née Union; born October 29, 1972)[2] is an American actress. Her career began in the 1990s, when she made dozens of appearances on television 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.
Union is 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 the CBS medical drama series City of Angels (2000) and in the films Bad Boys II (2003), 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).
Union starred as the lead characters in 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). Outside of acting, Union 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 has also been an outspoken advocate for issues involving women's health, LGBTQ+ equality, and violence against women, and was awarded the President's Award from the NAACP Image Awards, alongside her husband Dwyane Wade for their humanitarian efforts.[3] Union was included on Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020.[4]