Gabrielle union biography roles of a teacher

Gabrielle Union-Wade

American actress
Date of Birth: 29.10.1972
Country: USA

Content:
  1. Gabrielle Union: American Actress
  2. Early Acting Career
  3. Critical Success in Independent Cinema
  4. Television Roles
  5. Personal Life

Gabrielle Union: American Actress

Early Life and Education

Gabrielle Monique Union was born in Omaha, Nebraska, to Teresa (née Glass), a former dancer, social worker, and telephone company manager, and Sylvester Union, a sergeant and AT&T manager. Raised Catholic, Union's family relocated to Pleasanton, California when she was eight. She attended Foothill High School, where she excelled in basketball, soccer, and track and field.

After high school, Union attended the University of Nebraska and Cuesta College before transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned a degree in sociology. To finance her education, she worked as a model for Judith Fontaine Modeling & Talent Agency.

Early Acting Career

Union's acting career took off with small roles in television shows and teen films, including "10 Things I Hate About You" and "Love & Basketball." In 2000, she landed a breakout role as Isis in "Bring It On" alongside Kirsten Dunst. In 2003, she starred in "Deliver Us from Eva" with rapper LL Cool J, which earned critical acclaim and led to more significant film roles, such as "Bad Boys II" and "Divorce: A Modern Tale."

Critical Success in Independent Cinema

In 2005, Union played the lead role in the independent drama "Neo Ned." The film garnered awards at several festivals, including the Palm Beach International Film Festival, where Union received the Best Actress award.

Television Roles

Union has continued to have a successful career in television. In 2009, she joined the cast of NBC's "Life," which ran until its cancellation later that year. For her role in "Being Mary Jane," she was nominated for an Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Personal Life

In 1992, at the age of 19, Union was raped and beaten while working at a Payless ShoeSource store. The perpetrator later turned himself in and was sentenced to 33 years in prison. The experience led Union to become an advocate for victims of sexual violence.

Union was married to NFL player Chris Howard from 2001 to 2006. Since August 30, 2014, she has been married to basketball player Dwyane Wade, with whom she had been in a five-year relationship prior to their wedding. The couple welcomed their daughter, Kaavia James Union Wade, in 2018 via surrogate. Union is also a stepmother to Wade's three sons, Zaire Blessing Dwyane, Zion Malachi Airamis, and Xavier Zechariah Wade. She has suffered from eight or nine miscarriages.