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Actress Gabrielle Union is shattering stereotypes in a multitude of ways, from her timeless appearance to showcasing in her new Netflix project, The Perfect Find, that reinvention, love, talent, and success aren't limited by age.
On a regular basis, Union, who turned 50 last year, uses her platform to encourage fans and shed light on important issues that seem to hinder others from living in their truth, which is one of the reasons why the star felt compelled to play Jenna in the romantic comedy.
In The Perfect Find, inspired by Tia Williams' book of the same name, a 40-year-old Jenna is dealing with the repercussions of losing her fashion industry job and a breakup with her longtime partner.
As a result of those adverse outcomes, Jenna is forced to move to a new city and work for her rival Darcy (Gina Torres) as a fashion editor, where her life dramatically changes after falling in love with her younger co-worker, portrayed by Keith Powers, who is also her boss' son.
During a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Union spoke to the publication about ageism in society, how she wanted to switch the narrative, and what it was like producing and starring in The Perfect Find.
Gabrielle On Being An Older Woman In Society
In the discussion, Union shared that older women, mainly over the age of 28, "oftentimes disappear from society" because people feel that those individuals have passed their prime.
The Being Mary Jane star would combat those assumptions by stating that although she is in her 50s, she continues to "thrive" personally and professionally and wanted to be a part of a project that displayed that.
"[It] really sparked something inside of me about older women and how we can oftentimes disappear from society, almost, in terms of people looking at us as like we are past our prime. That we carry no value, that no one sees value in a woman over 28, much less over 35, much less over 40. But baby, I'm thriving," she said while describing why she wanted to play Jenna in The Perfect Find. "So I wanted something that spoke to that, that I hadn't done before. Which is tough, because I've done a lot of rom-coms. This one is new. I'm thrilled."
Gabrielle On Producing and Starring In The Perfect Find
As the topic shifted to Union wearing "multiple hats" in The Perfect Find from playing the lead role and producing it, the star disclosed the hardships of being a Black person in the entertainment industry.
Union admitted that while it wasn't difficult for her to juggle those positions because of her experience of having to do multiple jobs, paid and unpaid, in past projects, she expressed that is the work that many have to do to ensure everything is complete.
"As a Black woman in this industry, a Black woman who has to navigate this world, I have to always wear multiple hats. It is not easy. I didn't ask for this, but I became quite good at it. It's not as difficult for me as it is for some, because I don't really know anything different. I come to set and I'm going to have a lot of jobs, whether I'm getting paid for them or not. And that's just what it is to be a Black person in Hollywood, and you want your project to go from A to Z," she explained.
From the looks of it, Union is successfully breaking down barriers individually. Check out the star's new film, The Perfect Find, set to premiere on Netflix on June 23.
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Feature image by Emma McIntyre/WireImage
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