Gabrielle Union did not become famous when she landed the leading role on BET's Being Mary Jane. She has been a staple in Black Hollywood since I was a pre-teen. She was an original “mean girl” as one of the stars of Bring It On! — a prescient pop culture introduction to intersectional feminism, if there ever was one — in 2000. You might even remember her breaking the friend code in 10 Things I Hate About You when her character Chastity goes after her friend’s really sloppy seconds. Roles like these, showing Union as a conniving, shady, unpleasant woman, helped to shape my thinking about the actress for years.