“If someone lacked decency or respect, I didn’t allow that person to stay in my world.” ~ Gabrielle Union-Wade, Actress
Summary: Beginning her career in the 1990s appearing on television sitcoms, Gabrielle Union-Wade then landed supporting roles in the teen comedy films She’s All That and 10 Things I Hate About You. Her breakthrough role was in the 2000 teen comedy film Bring It On, after which she was female lead in the short-lived CBS medical drama series City of Angels later that year. Union is best known for her performances in the romantic comedy films The Brothers (2001), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), Daddy’s Little Girls (2007), Think Like a Man (2012) and Think Like a Man Too (2014).
Nationality: African-American
Industry: Entertainment
Q: In the film you played Esther, a married field slave who is sometimes called upon to work in the house. On one such occasion, she catches the eye of one of the plantation’s white guests. How did you feel relating to Esther in this moment on such a deep level? on oceandrive.com
A: He sees her and feels entitled to her body. What happens to her is one of the things that sets in motion one of the most successful slave liberations in the history of our country. I definitely didn’t want to screw up this incredibly important, powerful film. I just really wanted to—not only as an actor, but as a sexual-assault victim myself—convey the powerlessness that one feels, the voicelessness, the terror, the heartbreak, the physical, emotional, spiritual devastation. This experience was extremely powerful and moving, and it happened at the right time in my life, when I needed to find more purpose in my work. And I found it.
