Gabrielle Union Biography

Date of Birth: October 29, 1973

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Union grew up with an interest in law. She was a talented sportswoman who excelled in soccer and basketball since the age of eight, and even played on the Nebraska soccer team.

Her first taste of stardom came in high school. While trying on a prom dress, Gabrielle was discovered and landed a spot in the store's commercial.

She was studying sociology at UCLA when in her senior year, she was discovered while working for a modeling agency on an internship. Following her graduation, she started landing small roles in TV series like Moesha, Dave's World, The Steve Harvey Show as well as more regular gigs on 7th Heaven and Sister, Sister.

In 1999 she landed her first feature film, She's All That. With each role that followed, her exposure grew along with her confidence.

One year later she became a regular on the series City of Angels playing Dr. Courtney Ellis, and landed co-starring roles in films that featured similar interests to her yesteryears. In Love & Basketball, she returned to one of her favorite sports, while in Bring it On, Union used the experiences of her cheerleading work in grade eight to help prepare her for the role. In Deliver Us From Eva (2002), she played the starring role of Eva, a woman whose sisters' boyfriends pay a pal to date her so she'll keep from meddling in their lives.

In in the romantic comedy Think Like a Man (2012), about a group of couples who use a self-help book to navigate their relationships, she played Kristen, then repeated the role in Think Like a Man Too (2014). She played Esther in the reboot of the controversial 1915 film The Birth of a Nation (2016) and in Breaking In (2018), she plays a butt-kicking mother whose children are taken hostage.

On May 5, 2001, Gabrielle married Chris Howard of NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, but they divorced in 2006. She went on to marry actor/producer Dwyane Wade in August 2014.

When not on set, Gabrielle, who survived a rape at gunpoint when she was 19, is a public speaker on the topic of violence against women.

Filmography:

Breaking In (2018)
Sleepless (2017)
Almost Christmas (2016)
The Birth of a Nation (2016)
Top Five (2014)
Think Like a Man Too (2014)
Think Like a Man (2012)
Tyler Perry's Good Deeds (2012)
In Our Nature (2012)
Cadillac Records (2008)
Meet Dave (2008)
The Perfect Holiday (2007)
The Box (2007)
Daddy's Little Girls (2007)
Running with Scissors (2006)
The Honeymooners (2005)
Neo Ned (2005)
Constellation (2005)
Say Uncle (2005)
Breakin' All the Rules (2004)
Bad Boys 2 (2003)
Cradle 2 The Grave (2003)
Abandon (2002)
The Switch (2002)
Welcome to Collinwood (2002)
Two Can Play That Game (2001)
The Brothers (2001)
Bring It On (2000)
Love & Basketball (2000)
H-E Double Hockey Sticks (1999)
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
She's All That (1999)