Gabrielle Union Had Dreams Of Being A "Video Hoe" & Auditioned For "California Love"

BY Erika Marie 4.5K Views
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Gabrielle Union
Union recalled once auditioning to star in the visual to Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur, and Roger Troutman's classic.

Not every A-lister had dreams of being the next great movie star. Many, like Gabrielle Union, apparently, wanted to be the "it girl" in Rap videos. She's celebrated for her film and television roles, but Union recently sat down with JJ Redick and Tommy Alter on The Old Man & The Three podcast where she spoke about her dreams of fame early on in her career.

“I got this internship in my last year of school, and I was like the office gofer, help, or whatever, and I worked in the kid's department," she said. "So we were working with Hayden Panetierre and Jessica Biel and Shane West and all of those young child actors."

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"I’d talk to their parents and managers and whatnot, and when my internship ended, they were like, ‘Would you ever consider like, being one of our clients and us representing you.”

The actress said she "had such low self-esteem" but admitted that she "wanted to be a video hoe so bad." Union had no aspirations of being in films, television shows, or commercials. "I wanted to be the chosen video hoe. That's what we called them then," she added. "Now they are video vixens, IG models, yeah, but I wanted to be a hot b*tch."

Apparently, she lacked "big boobs or an ass" so she didn't feel as desired as other women. "I was literally auditioning for like, 'California Love' video with Tupac." Union said she booked other gigs quickly, but they weren't aligning with her music video goals. "Just wanted to be in the 'California Love' video," she joked.

It seems to have worked out for the best, all things considering. Watch the clip below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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