Gabrielle Union Recalls Being Typecast as 'Friend,' Feeling 'Invisible'

Gabrielle Union didn't feel that what she brought to acting was recognized early in her career.

Along with Black actresses like Halle Berry, Taraji P. Henson, and Tessa Thompson, Union appears in the new Apple TV+ two-part documentary Number One on the Call Sheet. During her segment, The Perfect Find star recalled feeling "typecast" due to her non-Eurocentric features.

"When you have a more coarse grade of hair, when you have melanin, thicker nose, wider nose, wider lips, you’re not considered, you know, a classic beauty," Union said, according to People. "I started feeling invisible, like my beauty wasn’t wanted. As a romantic lead? No."

Among Union's earlier roles were films Bring It On, She's All That, Love & Basketball and 10 Things I Hate About You, where she was often played mean and quick-witted high school-aged characters. In She's All That and 10 Things, in particular, Union's characters were sidekicks to white female leads.

"My look was appealing enough. But not so overpowering that it overshadows the White lead," Union continued. "You know, and that was my bread and butter, like, for a long time. The bitchy, sassy friend."

It would be in Black comedy, drama, and action films that Union would take the reins as romantic interest, notably in The Wood, Breakin' All the Rules, Deliver Us from Eva and Bad Boys II. In 2018, Union and fellow actress Gabourey Sidibe (who also appeared in the Apple TV+ documentary) had a Twitter discussion around being asked to perform Black stereotypes during auditions. Apparently, one casting director requested her to be "more sassy" like the late Della Reese.