Quotes

[on her status as a sex symbol] I have no problem with that! I'd rather be that than Quasimodo. Or a method actor.

Thank God for J-Lo [Jennifer Lopez]. All of a sudden big asses are de rigueur.

[on her strip scene in Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)] I'm a Catholic girl from Omaha, and then all of a sudden they spring this scene on me. Afterwards I had to go to confession. I said, "Forgive me Father, for I have just bared my ass in front of the world. How many Hail Marys will it take to absolve me of that?"

After Halle Berry does her films and Queen Latifah does her films, it's left to all the black, Latino and Asian actresses to fight over a couple of roles. I opted for some TV. There's just not a ton of work in film.

[on Halle Berry's success] Halle's success has come more from blockbusters. But, yes, she is a source of inspiration. When she makes money, black actors make money.

I didn't want to act. I thought it was a cheesy profession--but when I was a junior, I got an internship at a modeling agency. When my internship ended, they said, "We'd be interested in representing you". I was like, "If you think someone will pay me to be cheesy, sure, whatever!"

I have the Samuel L. Jackson mentality, of working as much as possible. I think about [Halle Berry] and [Queen Latifah] and they are the only two black actresses that work consistently. It scares me.

I like directors who have worked as actors. They know the experience.

I still hear things like, "Gabrielle, you gave the best read! If we decide to go black, you're at the top of the list". I've actually been told, "Gabrielle, you're absolutely perfect for the role, but the role is a girl who's most popular in school". I've been to the point where I brought in my yearbook. "See how popular I was? It really can happen".

[on what she'll do next] I want to be Miss USA or Miss America. I would bring the trophy back to Nebraska. My interests are agriculture and corn. Hey, I'm just riding this train as long as I can. As long as I'm having fun, I'll do it. When it stops being fun, I'll try something else. Maybe I'll open up a chain of Popeye's Chicken".

It is all that an actress can hope for. The experience was very organic. I was able to be creative. In comedies, you go for the joke, and embellish. Action films are about action. They're not about performances.

The black community in Hollywood is very small and close-knit. Everyone has a common goal: to make a two-hour movie in 30 days. We watch each others' scenes. There is a natural chemistry. You can't have a crazy diva walking around saying, "As long as I'm lit well..." or, "I only care if I do well."

As women we're taught early on to be polite, to be nice, to not make anyone uncomfortable. But I always remember this great line from a movie: "All we have...is all these years." We can fill those years with toxic, negative people or with fun, positive people. You don't get any points when you get to heaven for putting up with bullshit.

[on playing Esther in 'The Birth of a Nation', 2016] Unfortunately, life gave me all the preparation I needed. Much of my journey as a rape survivor has been in the shadows. The post-traumatic stress is like being locked in this excruciatingly joyless place. I hope people see Gabrielle Union, rape survivor, as the same person as Esther, because we are the same.

When I first started acting, I was always cast as the sassy, asexual black friend. My peers were shoved into similar limiting boxes, as there weren't a lot of opportunities for actors of color. The available roles were oftentimes racist, sexist or woefully underdeveloped. I would read certain scripts and think, You can't be serious.

You know when people talk about the very first time they did drugs? Being in a Michael Bay movie [Bad Boys II] was like my drug. It's like I'm chasing the dragon-I've been chasing that experience ever since.