
Gabrielle Union
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
1972-10-29 (52 years old)
Place of Birth
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Gabrielle Union
Biography
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
Acting
The Casket Girls
as Detective Shay Williams
(2025)
Riff Raff
as Sandy
(2024)
Space Cadet
as Pam Proctor
(2023)
The Perfect Find
as Jenna Jones
(2022)
Strange World
as Meridian Clade (voice)
(2022)
Cheaper by the Dozen
as Zoey Baker
(2022)
The Inspection
as Inez French
(2021)
Adele One Night Only
as Self
(2021)
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes
as Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey
(2020)
Fearless
as General Blazerhatch (voice)
(2020)
(2019)
(2018)
Breaking In
as Shaun Russell
(2017)
Sleepless
as Dena
(2017)
The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar
as Nala (voice)
(2016)
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
as Nala (voice)
(2016)
Almost Christmas
as Rachel
(2016)
The Birth of a Nation
as Esther
(2015)
With This Ring
as Kitty
(2014)
Top Five
as Erica Long
(2014)
Think Like a Man Too
as Kristen
(2013)
Miss Dial
as Long Story Caller
(2013)
The Door
as She
(2012)
Think Like a Man
as Kristen
(2012)
Good Deeds
as Natalie
(2012)
In Our Nature
as Vicky
(2012)
(2008)
Meet Dave
as No. 3 - Cultural Officer
(2008)
Cadillac Records
as Geneva Wade
(2007)
Daddy's Little Girls
as Julia Rossmore
(2007)
Constellation
as Carmel Boxer
(2007)
The Perfect Holiday
as Nancy Taylor
(2007)
The Box
as Cris Romano
(2006)
Running with Scissors
as Dorothy
(2006)
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)
Bad Boys II
as Syd
(2003)
Cradle 2 the Grave
as Daria
(2003)
Deliver Us from Eva
as Evangeline 'Eva' Dandrige
(2003)
Hustle and Heat
as Masked Woman
(2002)
Abandon
as Amanda Luttrell
(2002)
Welcome to Collinwood
as Michelle
(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
(1999)
10 Things I Hate About You
as Chastity
(1999)
She's All That
as Katie
(1999)
H.E. Double Hockey Sticks
as Gabrielle
Crew
The Casket Girls
Executive Producer
(2024)
The Idea of You
Producer
(2023)
The Perfect Find
Producer
(2022)
The Inspection
Executive Producer
(2022)
Cheaper by the Dozen
Executive Producer
(2019)
Hair Love
Associate Producer
(2018)
Breaking In
Producer
(2016)
Almost Christmas
Executive Producer
(2015)
With This Ring
Executive Producer