Gabrielle Union
Known for: Acting
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).
Filmography
Series
Family Guy
Shauna Parks (voice)
1999
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self - Guest
2014
Series
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009
Series
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
Series
The Daily Show
Self - Guest
1996
Series
Friends
Kirsten Lang
1994
Series
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self - Guest
2014
Series
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self
2014
Series
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
2019
Series
The West Wing
Meeshel Anders
1999
Series
Conan
Self
2010
Series
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
N'Garen
1993
Series
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Self
2022
Series
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Self - Guest
2022
Series
Sherri
Self - Guest
2022
Series
ER
Tamara Davis
1994
Series
The View
Self - Guest
1997
Series
The View
Self
1997
Series
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Self - Guest
2015
Series
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self
2003
Series
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
2003
Series
Hot Ones
Self
2015
Series
America's Got Talent
Self - Judge
2006
Film
GOAT
Jett Fillmore (voice)
2026
Series
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
Series
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self
1988
Series
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest
1988
Series
Army Wives
Gina Holt
2007
Series
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest
1993
Series
Desus & Mero
Self - Illustrious Guest
2019
Series
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
2003
Series
The Steve Harvey Show
Naomi Parson
1996
Series
Steve
Self
2017
Series
The Drew Barrymore Show
Self
2020
Series
Tamron Hall
Self - Guest
2019
Series
People's Choice Awards
Self - Presenter
1975
Series
Ugly Betty
Renee Slater
2006
Series
WIRED's Autocomplete Interviews
Self - Guest
2016
Series
Moesha
Ashli
1996
Series
Truth Be Told
Eva Pierre
2019
Series
Sister, Sister
Shawn
1994
Series
Sister, Sister
Vanessa
1994
Series
Number One on the Call Sheet
Self
2025
Film
10 Things I Hate About You
Chastity
1999
Series
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder
Talia (Voice)
2022
Series
Life
Jane Seever
2007
Series
The Lion Guard
Nala (voice)
2016
Series
7th Heaven
Keesha Hamilton
1996
The Reichen Show
Self
2005
Series
FlashForward
Zoey Andata
2009
The Tony Danza Show
Self
2004
Series
The Proud Family
Sunny Stevens / Iesha (voice)
2001
Series
Saved by the Bell: The New Class
Hilary
1993
Series
Saved by the Bell: The New Class
Jennifer
1993
Series
Smart Guy
Lydia
1997
Film
Bad Boys II
Syd
2003
Series
L.A.'s Finest
Syd Burnett
2019
Series
Clueless
1996
Series
Dave's World
Carly
1993
Film
Strange World
Meridian Clade (voice)
2022
Series
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
Self
2004
Series
A Black Lady Sketch Show
Gabrielle Union
2019
Film
Breaking In
Shaun Russell
2018
Series
Red Table Talk
Self
2018
Series
Jungle Cubs
1996
Series
StoryBots: Answer Time
2022
Series
Being Mary Jane
Mary Jane Paul
2013
Series
City Guys
1997
Series
CBS Mornings
Self - Guest
2021
Series
NTSF:SD:SUV::
Sandy Canyons
2011
Film
She's All That
Katie
1999
Film
Cradle 2 the Grave
Daria
2003
Series
Hollywood Black
Self
2024
Film
Meet Dave
No. 3 - Cultural Officer
2008
Film
Forbidden Fruits
Sharon
2026
Series
Night Stalker
Perri Reed
2005
Film
Bring It On
Isis
2000
Series
City of Angels
Courtney Ellis
2000
Film
Sleepless
Dena
2017
Film
Cheaper by the Dozen
Zoey Baker
2022
Film
Something the Lord Made
Clara Thomas
2004
Grown Ups
Felicia
1999
Film
Almost Christmas
Rachel
2016
Film
Cadillac Records
Geneva Wade
2008
Film
Think Like a Man
Kristen
2012
Film
Top Five
Erica Long
2014
Film
Riff Raff
Sandy
2025
Film
Think Like a Man Too
Kristen
2014
Pepsi Smash
Self - Host
2003
Film
The Perfect Find
Jenna Jones
2023
Film
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
Nala (voice)
2016
Film
The Public
Rebecca Parks
2019
Film
Space Cadet
Pam Proctor
2024
Film
The Birth of a Nation
Esther
2016
Series
The Early Show
Self
1999
Film
Welcome to Collinwood
Michelle
2002
Film
Daddy's Little Girls
Julia Rossmore
2007
Film
Two Can Play That Game
Conny Spalding
2001
Film
Abandon
Amanda Luttrell
2002
Film
Adele One Night Only
Self
2021
Film
Good Deeds
Natalie
2012
Film
Love & Basketball
Shawnee
2000
Film
Fearless
General Blazerhatch (voice)
2020
Perdita
Pearl
Film
Running with Scissors
Dorothy
2006
Film
The Brothers
Denise Johnson
2001
Film
The Inspection
Inez French
2022
Film
The Honeymooners
Alice Kramden
2005
Film
Breakin' All the Rules
Nikki
2004
Film
Hustle and Heat
Masked Woman
2003
Film
Deliver Us from Eva
Evangeline 'Eva' Dandrige
2003
Series
Reading Rainbow
Self
2025
Series
We Got Time Today
Self
2024
The Door
She
2013
Series
Half the Sky
Self
2012
Film
The Perfect Holiday
Nancy Taylor
2007
Film
Say Uncle
Elise Carter
2006
Film
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes
Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey
2021
Film
The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar
Nala (voice)
2017
Film
With This Ring
Kitty
2015
Film
Miss Dial
Long Story Caller
2013
Series
Gabrielle Union: My Journey to 50
Self
2023
Film
In Our Nature
Vicky
2012
Film
H.E. Double Hockey Sticks
Gabrielle
1999
Film
Neo Ned
Rachael
2005
The Casket Girls
Detective Shay Williams
Blame It on Rome
Billie
Sorcerority
Film
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide
Self
2012
Film
The Box
Cris Romano
2007
Film
Constellation
Carmel Boxer
2007
Series
Teen Choice Awards
Self - Presenter
1999
Film
Sesame Street Elmo's Playdate: Scavenger Hunt
2020