00:00We're here with Gabrielle Union, who today is being awarded the Fierce and Fearless Award.
00:10So I want to ask you, we know you're fierce. Are you fearless?
00:14Now. Now I am.
00:16You know, for a long time I was masquerading, walking around here like I was a real boss chick,
00:22that I was fierce, I was fearless, and I was absolutely a scared little mouse.
00:26You know, and around the time I got divorced, A.J. Johnson, I started working with A.J. Johnson,
00:32and she challenged me. She said, do you want to keep on functioning in dysfunction and misery,
00:37or do you actually want to step out and be happy and live your truth?
00:39I was like, but when you put it like that, I guess I want to choose happiness.
00:44And so we got on the path of doing the work.
00:46So now I not only talk the talk of being fierce and fearless, but I'm walking the walk.
00:51And I cannot, I always think I follow you on Instagram, and I'm always like,
00:55I wish I had the drive, because Gabby's like working out and looking so good.
01:00And I'm like, how do you do it?
01:02I do it because so many women in my family that came before me didn't,
01:07and died early from diabetes and heart disease and cancer.
01:11So I'm, you know, I'm 40, so I have to be proactive about my health,
01:15and part of that is living well and treating my body well.
01:19Love it.
01:20And you'd much rather sit and watch, you know, bad TV and eat Cheetos, but...
01:25Wouldn't we all?
01:26Duty calls.
01:27Love it.
01:27So, Gabby, tell me about what this award, this award today means to you.
01:31It means the world to be recognized by, by women that look like me,
01:35and women who understand the, you know, this journey, and,
01:38but really to be recognized for my evolution from being a fraud to being real.
01:47Wow.
01:48You know, it feels good that somebody actually noticed that maybe I kind of put in some work
01:54and I'm actually living my dream.
01:57Oh, my God.
01:58Oh, my God.
01:58Oh, my God.
01:59Oh, my God.
02:00Oh, my God.
02:01Oh, my God.
02:02I love you.
02:03So, you know the feeling in the room, what it's like.
02:07Can you just describe what it's like?
02:09Do you hear the hollering?
02:10Yes.
02:12This is official.
02:14Brown girls doing it big, congratulating and celebrating each other,
02:18from independent films to major movie deals to owning your own own.
02:26You know what I mean?
02:26All of it.
02:27We're just celebrating each other, and it feels incredible.
02:30I've been hearing hollers and hoops and, hey, girl, all morning.
02:34It's fabulous.
02:35Some people are saying it's like a homecoming.
02:37It is like a homecoming.
02:39You see people you've worked with in television or in film or even in music.
02:44You see them, and you don't very often.
02:46You don't see everybody.
02:47So this is great.
02:49I look around, and there's so many people that I admire.
02:51I'm like, oh, for so many reasons.
02:54It's fabulous.
02:55Wonderful.
02:55And, you know, you're in music.
02:57You're a powerhouse music.
02:58You're an actress, so you definitely know the feeling, what it means to be a black woman
03:03in Hollywood.
03:04Tell me about what it means to you.
03:06Wow.
03:07It's an opportunity to share the magnificence of being a brown woman in the world.
03:17It is an opportunity to invigorate and inspire and keep our energy moving in every direction,
03:29sometimes even negative, unfortunately.
03:31But it's still, this is life, and we want to keep it moving, keep it growing.
03:35And this is the opportunity I get in many genres, which, girl, most of the time, I look myself in the mirror,
03:45and I'm just like, really?
03:47This is my life, being affected by a poem, being affected by a song, being affected by a character that I'm playing.
03:56And there's a lot of young women who are a lot more proud about their bodies, a lot more proud about their hair.
04:04And it's not all because of me, but I know I had some part in it.
04:07Oh, yes, you did.
04:09That makes me feel incredible.
04:11Oh, Layla.
04:13Hey, Layla.
04:14How are you?
04:14Oh, there I am.
04:15Okay, I have to make a confession.
04:18I didn't know you were this tall.
04:20I'm not this tall.
04:21You know, I'm like 6'4 right now.
04:23Yeah, I'm 5'11".
04:24Yeah, I'm 5'11".
04:26You're still tall.
04:27Yeah, I'm pretty tall.
04:28You punched the hell of Kevin Hart last week.
04:32I did.
04:32You know, but he talks so much.
04:34It's like, man, be quiet.
04:37You know, be quiet sometimes.
04:38It's funny.
04:39Love seeing you on that show.
04:40And just today, we're here honoring black women in Hollywood.
04:43As someone who's not necessarily an actress, but, you know, you're in the world.
04:47Tell me what it means to be a black woman in this industry.
04:51You know what?
04:51I feel such a responsibility to, you know, always shine a positive light.
04:59Because so many young girls look up to us, and especially in this day and time.
05:02You know, you got people out there that just want to be famous for, just to be famous.
05:07You know, they'll be famous for acting a fool.
05:08You know, and they get Twitter followers, and they get shows and all this.
05:11So I think now more than ever is really important, you know, for us to have class and have integrity.
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