These Movies Made Us Love Gabrielle Union More Than We Already Did (2024)

Release date: January 29, 1999

Starring: Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachel Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard, Paul Walker, Anna Paquin, Dulé Hill, Kevin Pollak, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, and Lil' Kim

Union's role: Katarina "Katie" Darlingson, the BFF of the most popular and narcissistic girl at school, Taylor Vaughan (O'Keefe). But beyond this memorable beach scene, a kickass house party, and a few struts around the high school, blink and you just might miss Union.

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Release date: March 31, 1999

Starring: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, and Andrew Keegan

Union's role: Chastity Church, cheerleader and best friend of Bianca Straford (Oleynik). Union only appears in a few scenes in the adorable teen romantic comedy, which is loosely based on William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

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Release date: April 21, 2000

Starring: Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps, Debbi Morgan, Dennis Haysbert, and Alfre Woodard

Union's role: Shawnee, a sexy upperclassman who tries to persuade Monica Wright (Lathan) to hook her up with her best male friend, Quincy McCall (Epps).

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Release date: August 25, 2000

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, Clare Kramer, Nicole Bilderback, Shamari Fears, Natina Reed, and Tsianina Joelson

Union's role: Isis, the cheerleading captain of a rival squad called the East Compton Clovers. When Isis discovers the white squad across town, the Toros, is stealing their routines, she fights back and leads her team to victory at their first national championship.

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Release date: March 23, 2001

Starring: Morris Chestnut, D.L. Hughley, Bill Bellamy, Shemar Moore, Tatyana Ali, Jenifer Lewis, Tamala Jones, Clifton Powell, Vanessa Bell Calloway, and Julie Benz

Union's role: Denise Johnson, a beautiful woman who charms her way into the heart of a man who has a fear of commitment (Chestnut). The film marks the first time Union and Chestnut play love interests, but they also star opposite each other in Two Can Play That Game, Breakin' All the Rules, Being Mary Jane, and The Perfect Holiday.

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Release date: September 7, 2001

Starring: Vivica A. Fox, Morris Chestnut, Anthony Anderson, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Tamala Jones, Mo'Nique, Dondre Whitfield, and Bobby Brown

Union's role: Conny Spalding, the sassy, ponytail-swinging hottie who comes between Keith Fenton (Chestnut) and Shanté Smith's (Fox) relationship. Her character is the muse for the iconic "hair flip" GIFs you've seen floating around the Internet.

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Release date: October 18, 2002

Starring: Katie Holmes, Benjamin Bratt, Charlie Hunnam, Zooey Deschanel, Tony Goldwyn, and Will McCormack

Union's role: Amanda Luttrell, the witty friend of the ambitious college senior, Katie (Holmes). Amanda's also not a fan of Katie's ex-boyfriend Embry (Hunnam), who, ironically, goes missing.

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Release date: October 18, 2002

Starring: William H. Macy, Isaiah Washington, Sam Rockwell, Michael Jeter, Luis Guzmán, George Clooney, Andrew Davoli, and Patricia Clarkson

Union's role: Michelle, the sister of Leon (Washington) and girlfriend of Basil (Davoli). Basil is part of a group of thieves from the Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland, but he wants out of the business to live an honest life with Michelle.

Release date: February 7, 2003

Starring: LL Cool J, Duane Martin, Essence Atkins, Meagan Good, and Mel Jackson

Union's role: Evangeline 'Eva' Dandrige, a bossy health inspector and overprotective sister. Eva's siblings pay Ray Adams (LL Cool J) to keep her distracted from meddling in their personal relationships.

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Release date: February 28, 2003

Starring: Jet Li, DMX, Anthony Anderson, Tom Arnold, and Drag-On

Union's role: Daria, a loyal associate who works with Tony Fait (DMX) and Tommy (Anderson) to pull off a jewelry heist at the New York Diamond Exchange.

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Release date: July 18, 2003

Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Jordi Mollà, Theresa Randle, Michael Shannon, and Joe Pantoliano

Union's role: Sydney "Syd" Burnett, the sister of Marcus Burnet (Lawrence). Syd is keeping two secrets from her brother. One, she's an undercover DEA agent, laundering money for a Cuban drug lord (Mollà). Two, she's dating his best friend and fellow detective, Mike Lowrey (Smith).

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Release date: May 14, 2004

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Morris Chestnut, Jennifer Esposito, Bianca Lawson, and Peter MacNicol

Union's role: Nicky Callas, a woman caught in a messy love triangle between self-help book author Quincy Watson (Foxx) and his best friend Evan Fields (Chestnut).

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Release date: April 22, 2005

Starring: Jeremy Renner, David E. Allen, Blaine Gray, and Michael Shamus Wiles, and Lyndon Smith

Union's role: Rachael, a Black woman who is "crazy in love" with a neo-Nazi skinhead. The two meet at a mental institution. But that's not the most farfetched part of the story. Rachael also believes she's possessed by the ghost of the leader of the Nazi Party, Adolf Hitler.

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Release date: June 10, 2005

Starring: Cedric the Entertainer, Mike Epps, Regina Hall, Eric Stoltz, and John Leguizamo

Union's role: Alice Kramden, a waitress at a local diner and best friend of Trixie Norton (Hall). The BFFs are next door neighbors who just happened to be married to friends Ralph Kramden (Cedric the Entertainer) and Ed Norton (Epps). In this film adaptation of the beloved TV series, Ralph and Ed come up with insane get-rich-quick schemes to buy new houses for their wives.

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Release date: October 27, 2006

Starring: Annette Bening, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin, Joseph Cross, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kristin Chenoweth

Union's role: Dorothy Ambrose, the lesbian companion of Deirdre Burroughs (Bening). In this Ryan Murphy-drama, based on Augusten Burroughs' 2002 memoir of the same name, Dorothy serves as a source of comfort and stability for the mentally ill Deirdre.

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Release date: February 14, 2007

Starring: Idris Elba, Louis Gossett Jr., Tasha Smith, Tracee Ellis Ross, Malinda Williams, Terri J. Vaughn, and Cassi Davis

Union's role: Julia, a successful attorney who helps a single father and mechanic, Monty (Elba), get sole custody of his three daughters. Of course, Julia ends up falling for Monty throughout the legal process, even though her friends don't approve because of their different backgrounds.

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Release date: December 12, 2007

Starring: Morris Chestnut, Faizon Love, Charlie Murphy, Katt Williams, Jill Marie Jones, Rachel True, Queen Latifah, and Terrance Howard

Union's role: Nancy, a single mother left to raise three kids while their hip-hop artist father prioritizes music over family. When Nancy's daughter Emily (Khail Bryant) tells Santa (Chestnut) her holiday wish is for her mom to find love, Santa makes her wish come true. Santa ends up being the man of both Nancy and Emily's dreams.

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Release date: July 11, 2008

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Elizabeth Banks, Scott Caan, Kevin Hart, and Ed Helms

Union's role: No. 3 Cultural Officer, a woman from Earth who develops feelings for Dave (Murphy). But Dave isn't human. He's actually the captain of a starship carrying miniature aliens from the planet Nil.

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Release date: December 5, 2008

Starring: Adrien Brody, Cedric the Entertainer, Beyoncé, Columbus Short, Jeffrey Wright, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Yasiin Bey, and Eamonn Walker

Union's role: Geneva Wade, the wife of legendary blues singer Muddy Waters. Geneva, much like Union, struggles with infertility issues and keeping her family together while her husband is on the road recording, romancing other women, and singing in nightclubs.

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Release date: April 20, 2012

Starring: Michael Ealy, Kevin Hart, Meagan Good, Jerry Ferrara, Regina Hall, Romany Malco, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Jenkins, Jenifer Lewis, Lala Anthony

Union's role: Kristen, a woman who reads a self-help book designed to help women get the man they deserve. She takes the advice to heart, hoping to get her immature live-in boyfriend to commit to her. The 2012 rom-com is based on Steve Harvey's book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.

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