The Hidden Figures-Fences mix up at the 2017 Golden Globes has opened a lot of dialogue about the lack of awareness Hollywood seems to have for films with a colorful cast. Gabrielle Union has shared her thoughts on the matter with a few unfortunate cases of mistaken identity she’s faced in her career.
During her interview with Hot 97 Tuesday (Jan. 10), the actress says “Hidden Fences” reminded her of an incident where she was mistaken for her longtime friend and fellow actress, Sanaa Lathan. Union was at a meeting with her agents when a higher-ranking executive walked in and gushed about a film she didn’t star in. “I just gotta say I loved you in ‘Outta Time,'” she recalled. “And I said well that’s not me, that’s Sanaa Lathan, but I will let her know how much you love her work and I promptly left. These are people I pay money to, and they don’t know we’re different people. What bothered me about the “Hidden Fences” thing it’s the idea that movies centered in blackness are lumped together consciously as ‘other.'”
It didn’t’ stop there. Before she became a household name, journalists who are lighter than beige believed she was Garcelle Beauvais. “I did whole press tours as Garcelle not realizing,” she said. “It would be at some point where a journalist told me, “Your work with Jamie Foxx as Fancy is so [great.]” After reaching out to Beauvais about the mixup, the actress admitted she would receive the same treatment. “She told me, “I’ve been Gabrielle Union many times,” Union said.
During her chat with Ebro, Laura and Peter Rosenberg, the actress spoke about the latest season of Being Mary Jane, what fans can expect and her latest movie with Jamie Foxx.
Check out the interview below.