Gabrielle Union

Gabrielle Union, known for her roles in Bring It On, Daddy’s Little Girls, Deliver Us from Eva, Bad Boys II, and several other films, is making her mark in Hollywood as a diverse actress who brings both toughness and charm to the screen. In person, she has a natural glow, a spunky personality, and a warm spirit that makes her quite approachable. Below is a brief interview I had with Gabriella on the red carpet at a VIP reception during Kentucky Derby weekend.

Sonya: I saw you at the Derby last year. How many times is this for you?
Gabrielle: This is my fifth year.

Sonya: What is it about the Derby that makes you come again and again?
Gabrielle: You know what – I love the pageantry of it all. I love hanging out in a totally different location with all of my friends . . . the same people I hang out with around the country. We have a great time here. The people are really, really warm. The city rolls out the red carpet and welcomes you with open arms, so you can’t really turn your back on that.

Sonya: What would you say has been the key to your success as an actress and what advice would you give to aspiring actors?
Gabrielle: Education. I started my career after I finished my degree at UCLA, and I was still playing [roles cast as] 15, because good black don’t crack (laughs) . . . so, there’s no rush. Don’t skip over education. There’s no need to forego a solid well-trained mind just to start a career that will be waiting for you. The more you educate yourself, the more knowledgeable you are and the better prepared you will be to handle all the different things that come at you as a person in Hollywood.

Sonya: You look great. What are your beauty tips?
Gabrielle: Of course, Neutrogena - any and every Neutrogena that you see out there . . . especially the self-tanner. You see how well that’s worked [for me]. No. I drink at least a gallon of water a day.
(Gabriella is a spokesmodel for Neutrogena products)

Sonya: And what about exercise and diet? What are your tips?
Gabrielle: Just do it. That’s my biggest tip. Get off your butt and hit the gym. The biggest challenge is that you just don’t want to do it. We just ate bacon cheeseburgers. I don’t want to do anything, but I know tomorrow morning I’ve got to get up and hit it. You’ve got to pay for what you put in your mouth. That’s the biggest thing. Just get to the gym. Once you get there you’ll feel pressure and you’ll be a little competitive.

Sonya: What project are you working on now?
Gabrielle: I just wrapped a project called Cadillac Records with Beyoncé Knowles. She’s our executive producer, so she’s our boss. She’s playing Etta James, Mos Def is playing Chuck Berry. We’ve got an amazing cast. I just wrapped up all my episodes of Ugly Betty. And I have a movie coming out this summer with Eddie Murphy.

At this point actress Tichina Arnold yells for Gabriella to hurry so they can go inside the VIP reception.

Gabrielle: Okay.
Sonya: Go. Thank you. I’ll see you later.