- Gabrielle Union
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Gabrielle Union
Union in February 2009Born Gabrielle Monique Union
October 29, 1972
Omaha, Nebraska U.S.Occupation Actress Years active 1993–present Spouse Chris Howard 2001-2006 (divorced) Gabrielle Monique Union (born October 29, 1972) is an American actress and former model. Among her notable roles is as the cheerleader opposite Kirsten Dunst in the film Bring it On. Union starred opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the blockbuster film Bad Boys II and played a medical doctor in the CBS drama series City of Angels. She starred with LL Cool J in Deliver Us from Eva in 2003.
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Early life
Union was born in Omaha, Nebraska. She is the daughter of Theresa (née Glass), a former dancer, social worker, and phone company manager, and Sylvester C. Union, an AT&T manager and military sergeant.[1][2][3] She was raised Catholic.[4] At the age of eight, her family moved to Pleasanton, California, where she grew up and attended Foothill High School. In high school, Union was an all-star point guard in basketball and a year-round athlete, also playing in soccer and ran track.
Career
Union attended 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, Union started working as a model to pay off college loans.[5]
Union started her acting career in minor roles. Most were in teen movies such as 10 Things I Hate About You and Love and Basketball. In 1997, Union appeared in the sixth-season episode of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Sons and Daughters" as the Klingon N'Garen [6]. She also appeared in Sister, Sister as Vanessa, in Smart Guy as Denise, and in five episodes of 7th Heaven as Keesha Hamilton.
In 2000, Union landed the role of Isis in the cheerleading movie Bring it On opposite Kirsten Dunst. Bring It On helped push Union into the mainstream and she began gaining more exposure. This led to Union being cast in the CBS television drama City of Angels as Dr. Courtney Ellis.
Union was cast in her first leading role in the 2003 film Deliver Us from Eva with rapper L.L. Cool J. This was her second time working with the rapper since making a cameo in his video "Paradise" in 2002. The film received fair reviews from critics and it showed that Union was a leading lady. Union landed the role of Will Smith's girlfriend Syd in the film Bad Boys II, a box office success grossing over $273 million worldwide. Union starred with Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx in the film Breakin' All the Rules in 2004.
Union 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.
She starred in the 2005 remake of The Honeymooners with comedian Cedric The Entertainer. In 2006, she starred as Busta Rhymes' love interest in the music video for Rhymes' "I Love My Chick". Union starred in the 2007 films Daddy's Little Girls by Tyler Perry (released on Valentine's Day) and the Christmas film The Perfect Holiday which opened on December 12.
In an interview with Art Nouveau Magazine, Union complained about the lack of roles for black actresses and actors in Hollywood: "There used to be [roles] specifically written black, if you knew Denzel was doing a movie you knew his wife, girl or love interest was going to be black [but] that’s not necessarily the case anymore. You’re in that room with every amazingly talented actress of every hue, and it’s a dogfight, it’s hard".[7]
In 2008, Union appeared on Ugly Betty for 3 episodes (36-38) as Renee, Wilhelmina Slater's (Vanessa L. Williams) sister and Daniel Meade's (Eric Mabius) love interest. She also made a cameo appearance in the music video for Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent".
She joined the cast of the U.S. television series Life on NBC and appeared in four episodes prior to the cancellation of series in May 2009.[8] She appeared in the ABC series FlashForward alongside John Cho and Joseph Fiennes as Zoey Andata, a role for which she got nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
She will be again working with Tyler Perry on the upcoming 2012 romantic comedy Good Deeds. She will be playing the role of Natalie, the soon to be wife of Perry's character Glen Deeds.
Personal life
In 1992, at age 19, Union was attacked, beaten, and raped at her part-time job in a shoe store. Her attacker later turned himself in and was sentenced to 33 years in prison. She has since become an advocate for victims of sexual assault.[9]
On May 5, 2001 Gabrielle married Chris Howard. They divorced in 2006. She dated American football player Jonathan Borrero in 2007.[citation needed] She's now dating Dwyane Wade.[citation needed]
Awards and nominations
- MTV Awards
- 2005, Best Actress (2004, Best Actress (nominated)
- 2003, Best Actress (nominated)
- Black Reel Awards
- 2008, Best Ensemble: Cadillac Records (winner)
- 2005, Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy: Breakin' All the Rules (nominated)
- 2005, Best Supporting Actress in a TV Movie/Mini-Series: Something the Lord Made (nominated)
- 2004, Best Actress: Deliver Us From Eva (nominated)
- 2002, Best Supporting Actress: The Brothers (nominated)
- 2001, Best Supporting Actress: Bring It On (winner)
- Image Awards 2005-
- 2005, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Breakin' All the Rules (nominated)
- 2005, Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie/Mini-Series: Something the Lord Made (nominated)
- 2004, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Deliver Us From Eva (nominated)
- 2004, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Bad Boys II (nominated)
- Palm Beach International Film Festival
- 2006, Best Actress Neo Ned (winner)
Filmography
Film Year Film Role 1999 She's All That Katie 10 Things I Hate About You Chastity H-E Double Hockey Sticks Gabrielle 2000 Love & Basketball Shawnee Bring It On Isis 2001 The Brothers Denise Johnson Two Can Play That Game Conny Spalding 2002 Welcome to Collinwood Michelle Abandon Amanda Luttrell 2003 Deliver Us from Eva Evangeline 'Eva' Dandrige Cradle 2 the Grave Daria Bad Boys II Syd 2004 Something the Lord Made Clara Thomas Breakin' All the Rules Nicky Callas 2005 Neo Ned Rachael The Honeymooners Alice Kramden Say Uncle Elise Carter 2006 Running with Scissors Dorothy 2007 Constellation Carmel Boxer Daddy's Little Girls Julia The Box Det. Cris Romano The Perfect Holiday Nancy 2008 Meet Dave Number 3 - Cultural Officer Cadillac Records Geneva Wade 2010 The Van Zandt Shakedown[10] TBA 2011 Good Deeds Natalie Television
- Family Matters - TV series (1993)
- Saved by the Bell: The New Class - TV series (1995–1996)
- Moesha - TV series (1996)
- Malibu Shores - TV series (1996)
- Goode Behavior - TV series (1996)
- 7th Heaven - TV series (1996–1999)
- Smart Guy - TV series (1997)
- Dave's World - TV series (1997)
- Hitz - TV series (1997)
- Sister, Sister - TV series (1997)
- City Guys - TV series (1997)
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - TV series (1997)
- The Steve Harvey Show - TV series (1998)
- Clueless - TV series (1999)
- Grown Ups - TV series (1999)
- H-E Double Hockey Sticks - TV film (1999)
- ER - TV series (2000)
- The Others - TV series (2000)
- Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane - TV series (2000)
- City of Angels - TV series (2000)
- Close to Home - TV film (2001)
- Friends - TV series (2001)
- The Proud Family - TV series (2003)
- The West Wing - TV series (2004)
- Something the Lord Made - TV film (2004)
- Family Guy - TV series (2005)
- Night Stalker - TV series (2005–2006)
- Football Wives - TV film (2007)
- Ugly Betty - TV series (2008)
- The BET Honors - TV film (2010)
- Life - TV series (2009)
- FlashForward - TV series (2009–2010)
- Army Wives - TV series (2010)
- "NTSF:SD:SUV"-TV series (2011)
References
- ^ Gabrielle Union Biography - Yahoo! Movies
- ^ http://leoadambiga.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/gabrielle-union-a-star-is-born/
- ^ http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2004-Q-Z/Union-Gabrielle.html
- ^ Wiltz, Teresa (December 11, 2007). "Gabrielle Union, Relishing Her Latest 'Holiday' Treat". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/10/AR2007121002026.html.
- ^ DeMarco Williams (2008-01-04). "Gabrielle Union: National Treasure". hiphopdx.com. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/lifestyle-features/id.986/title.gabrielle-union-national-treasure. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
- ^ "Memory Alpha - Startrek Wiki "DS9: Sons and Daughters"". http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Gabrielle_Union. Retrieved Nov 11, 2011.
- ^ | Art Nouveau Magazine | Art, Fashion, Music, Culture
- ^ "Life Cancelled". http://tvseriesfinale.com/articles/life-canceled-season-three. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
- ^ http://perezhilton.com/2009-11-04-gabrielle-unions-rape-confession
- ^ The Van Zandt Shakedown at the Internet Movie Database
External links
Categories:- 1972 births
- Actors from Omaha, Nebraska
- African American film actors
- African American models
- African American television actors
- American female models
- Living people
- People from Pleasanton, California
- Rape victim advocates
- University of California, Los Angeles alumni
- MTV Awards
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