TIME

Gabrielle Union

The Birth of a Nation actor on sexual assault, raising black sons and moving to Chicago with her NBA-star husband

Esther, your character in The Birth of a Nation, doesn’t have any lines, but you convey her suffering so powerfully. I’ve been asked, “Should you separate the art from the artist?” I’ve implored people to not separate my art from this artist because that’s my life. Unfortunately, life gave me all the preparation I needed. Much of my journey as a

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from TIME

TIME4 min readInternational Relations
Fighting To Free Russia’s Political Prisoners
Vladimir Putin’s presidential victory this march was more of a coronation than an election. With the political system heavily skewed in his favor and all significant opponents disqualified, jailed, or dead, the vote was almost entirely pro forma. Sti
TIME9 min read
Artists
She moves with a lightness in a heavy world—bold, playful, and self-aware. She is thoughtfully outspoken for the oppressed and displaced. She founded an influential editorial platform, Service95, to cover cultural topics and address humanitarian conc
TIME9 min readIntelligence (AI) & Semantics
Pioneers
God blessed America. America Ferrera is an Oscar-nominated actress, activist, producer, director, writer, advocate, mother, wife, sister, daughter—you get the idea. There isn’t enough room on this page to include all her hyphenates. A simpler way of

Related Books & Audiobooks