Gabrielle Union’s career began in 1993 when she made her on-screen debut on the sitcom, Family Matters. It wouldn't be until the turn of the century that Union's film career would take off, appearing in hits like 1999's 10 Things I Hate About You and, of course, 2000's Bring It On. Since then, she has been one of the most popular actresses in both film and TV, building a steady career that has included films like Think Like a Man and Top Five (the latter of which was written and directed by Chris Rock), and TV shows like Ugly Betty and judging a season of America's Got Talent.

2022 proved to be a big year for Union, who had three movies release: the Cheaper by the Dozen reboot on Disney+, Disney's latest animated adventure Strange World, and, most notably, The Inspection. In fact, Entertainment Weekly, recently named her one of the top contenders for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for her performance in The Inspection. As we head into awards season, here's a look at Gabrielle Union's best movies, ranked.

7 Breaking In

Gabrielle Union in Breaking In
Universal Pictures

Breaking In was released in 2018. Directed by James McTeigue, the story follows a mother, who must protect her children in a mansion during a home invasion by burglars. Union stars in the leading role as Shaun Russell, who protects her son when four men break into the house to find money hidden in it. While the film received much criticism for its lack of character depth and generic plot, Union's performance was unanimously praised as the movie's highlight. Despite the negative reception from critics, Breaking In proved to be commercially successful, raking in just under $52 million against a $12 million budget.

Related: Gabrielle Union Says Countries Censoring Queer Characters is Just 'Denying Reality'

6 Love & Basketball

Love & Basketball
New Line Cinema

Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love & Basketball sees Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan star as Quincy and Monica, respectively, childhood friends whose personal and professional lives cross with profound impact over the course of a decade. In their joint pursuit of basketball, their relationship slowly moves into romantic territory. One of Union's earliest films, she has a smaller role as Shawnee, but shines nonetheless. To this day, Love & Basketball has cemented itself as a classic romance film.

5 Neo Ned

gabrielle-union-neo-ned
CodeBlack Entertainment

A black comedy starring Jeremy Renner and Union, released in 2005, Neo Ned follows the eponymous Ned (Renner), who ends up in a mental health facility due to his antisocial tendencies. A bigot and racist, he turns his attention towards Rachael (Union), a nurse at the facility who interestingly believes that she is a reincarnation of Hitler. Though initially at odds, Ned and Rachael embark on a romantic relationship, much to everyone's consternation. It’s a disturbing yet moving film, and is considered one of Union’s best performances.

4 Bring It On

Bring it On with Kirsten Dunst
Beacon Features

Bring It On is one of the most iconic films both in Union's filmography and cinema history as a whole. This role was responsible for Union’s breakthrough to a mainstream audience. Bring It On will likely be recognizable to many. It stars Kirsten Dunst as Torrance, the captain of a school cheer team in San Diego, who inadvertently discovers that her team has been stealing routines and movies from the East Compton Clovers, a squad led by Union's Isis. Groundbreaking for its time, Bring It On dove into discussion of race, privilege, and cultural appropriation. It spawned many sequels, though the original remains the best.

Related: Disney's Strange World is Adventurous, Strange, Bizarre, Strange, and Of Course, Mind-Blowing and Strange

3 Cadillac Records

gabrielle-union-cadillac-records
Sony Pictures Releasing

Daniel Martin directed Cadillac Records, which depicts the history of Chess Records, founded in 1950 by Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody). The label brought iconic musical acts into the mainstream, and these acts are depicted in the movie, from Etta James (played by Beyoncé) to Chuck Berry (Mos Def). Union stars as Geneva Wade, the wife of Muddy Waters (Cedric the Entertainer). Cadillac Records was a moderate success, critically and commercially, but its praise was chiefly directed at the music.

2 10 Things I Hate About You

gabrielle-union-10-things-i-hate-about-you
Touchstone Pictures

10 Things I Hate About You is a modern teenage adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, which finds Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles), a stuck-up and intellectual introvert, being pursued by Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) so that Patrick's friend Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) can date Kat's sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). Union plays Chastity, one of Bianca's friends. Though her part is small, she turns in a memorable performance in a film that has become a teen classic.

1 The Inspection

gabrielle-union-the-inspection
A24

Union's latest film is The Inspection. Making its world premiere earlierr this year at Toronto International Film Festival 202, The Inspection marks Elegance Bratton's feature directorial debut. Bratton, who also wrote the film, took inspiration from his own real-life experiences to tell a story of perseverance and belonging. Jeremy Pope stars as Ellis French, a young gay man who enlists in the Marine Corps as a way of saving himself. At boot camp, however, he faces brutal homophobia at the hands of his trainer and fellow recruits. Union shines as Ellis' mother, Inez, who is not accepting of Ellis' queerness. Per Variety, she's receiving the best reviews of her career, with many predicting an Oscar nom this awards season. She has already nabbed an Independent Spirit Award nomination, so, for now, only time will tell.