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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's in the film Bring it On. Union also 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 also starred with L.L. Cool J and Meagan Good in "Deliver Us from Eva" in 2003. An attractive and impressively talented African-American actress, Gabrielle Union has carved out a niche after landing plum roles in a fiercely competitive field thanks to her consistent yet versatile performances. While studying sociology at UCLA, this Omaha native interned at a modeling agency in her senior year in a bid to fit the most into her school schedule. When agents noted that clients often asked after her and were disappointed that she was a behind-the-scenes employee only, Union decided to take the plunge, and following graduation, she began modeling, seeing the high-paying job as a great way to pay off her sizable student loans. Before long, Union's look would migrate from the page to the screen, and in 1996, she was featured in episodes of "Moesha" (UPN) and "Malibu Shores" (NBC). A natural talent, Union landed parts in quick succession, including a recurring turn on The WB's family drama series "7th Heaven". Here she essayed the role of Keesha Hamilton, eldest daughter of African Methodist Episcopal Reverend Hamilton (Dorian Harewood), a close friend of the central Camden family. Carrying on the role occasionally from 1996-1998, Union was impressive in her infrequent guest shots. A 1997 two-episode recurring role on the syndicated sci-fi spin-off "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" also helped launch the ingénue’s career. Union was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the daughter of Theresa and Sylvester Union. She was raised Catholic. 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 and a year round athlete participating in soccer, basketball, and track. During this time, Union dated current Dallas Mavericks star point guard Jason Kidd. Union originally intended to become a lawyer. She 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 a modeling agency to earn extra academic credits. She was asked by the agency to sign on with them as a new model. She needed money to pay off some college loans and debts, so she eventually agreed to become a fashion model. Union started her acting career in minor roles. Most were in teen movies like 10 Things I Hate About You and Love and Basketball. She also appeared in the television show Sister, Sister as Vanessa. In 2000, Union landed the role of Isis in the cheerleading movie Bring it On opposite Kirsten Dunst. Bring It On helped push Union out 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 made her feature acting debut in 1999's "She's All That", serving as the friend and conscience for Freddie Prinze Jr.'s sensitive but deceitful hero with a small but pivotal role. That same year, she played a far more sinister character as the back-stabbing best friend of Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) in "10 Things I Hate About You", the teen take on "The Taming of the Shrew". Though the actress was by then in her mid-twenties, she was still very believable as a teen, even as the particularly immature and petty Chastity. These youthful looks would work to her advantage, as the spate of teen-aimed fare seemed nowhere in sight. The critically acclaimed romantic drama "Love & Basketball" (2000) gave Union the opportunity to play a single-minded basketball groupie after hot property Q (Omar Epps), while that same year's similarly sports-themed "Bring It On" made her the center of attention. An athlete from early childhood, Union embraced the opportunity to take on a more physical role, but even she found the training involved in being a cheerleader surprisingly rigorous. Rising admirably to the challenge, the actress brought her style and spark to the role of Isis, an inner-city cheerleader whose squad has the moves but not the finances to win the national championship. Making the most of her role and never descending into a typical "underprivileged fighter with a chip on her shoulder" portrayal, Union lit up the screen in "Bring It On", and her magnetism as well as that of comparably talented co-star Kirsten Dunst was no doubt responsible for the film's surprisingly lucrative box-office run. Union put aside teen roles for a regular stint on the troubled CBS medical drama "City of Angels" (2000), playing the lead female in a largely African-American ensemble cast. The following year she made history when her featured guest role as the love interest of both Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Ross (David Schwimmer) unfathomably marked the first time a black actor was featured on the New York City-set sitcom "Friends" in its seven-season run. The following week, on March 23, 2001, "The Brothers" opened. An African-American ensemble piece, the film centered around four successful young professional men and their various attitudes towards relationships. Union played Denise Johnson, whose respective gentleman was a ridiculously commitment-phobic Morris Chestnut. Though Denise was originally written as a meek, resigned character, director Gary Hardwick advised the actress to bring her own fire to the role, and Denise became a strong-willed and assured young woman whose independent spirit and alluring self-sufficiency just might change the notorious player's ways. 2003 saw Union getting her first leading role in the film Deliver Us From Eva with rapper L.L. Cool J. The film received fair reviews from critics and it showed that Union was a leading lady. But first, Union landed the role of Oscar nominee Will Smith's girlfriend Syd in the film Bad Boys II, a box office success grossing over $273 million worldwide. Union then starred with Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx in the film Breakin' All the Rules in 2004. In 2003, Union joined rap icon LL Cool J for the comedy feature "Deliver Us From Eva" (2003). Union, as the title character Eva, plays an up-tight young woman who finds joy in meddling in her younger sisters' love life. Also that year, Union was cleverly cast in the sequel "Bad Boys II" (2003) opposite Martin Lawrence and Will Smith as Lawerence's lovely sister. Union's character is not only in danger at the crux of the plot, she also has an opportunity to get romantically entangled with Smith and comedically opposed to Lawrence, developments that served to introduce the actress' distinctive charms to an even wider audience in her first "blockbuster" starring role. After starring opposite Jaime Foxx in the romantic comedy “Breakin’ All the Rules” (2004), she played Alice Kramden to Cedric the Entertainer’s Ralph Kramden in the rehash of the famed 1950’s sitcom, “The Honeymooners” (2005). 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 also 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 Washington 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". In May 2001, Union married NFL player Chris Howard of the Jacksonville Jaguars; In November 2005, the couple separated; the divorce was finalized in April 2006. |
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