Gabrielle Union has made a name for herself in Hollywood, but as she opened up about recently, her journey has often meant choosing passion over paychecks and learning to find peace in the process.

When reflecting on the moment she first felt at peace in her career, Union shared it wasn’t a traditional turning point with a major paycheck or blockbuster. Instead, it came through a deeply meaningful role in the A24 drama film, The Inspection.

“I’ve never been that actress that has the next two or three years laid out or the next one job,” Union said at the 2025 American Black Film Festival, where she participated in Ally’s “Sisterhood & Savings: A Conversation with Gabrielle Union,” moderated by Kelley Carter. “Usually it’s gig to gig and time in between, so that’s just never been my reality. I wish it was.”

She explained that around the time she worked on The Inspection, she experienced a new kind of success — one not tied to money, but to impact.

“There was a point relatively recently around The Inspection, where I got critical acclaim for the first time. And I probably lost money during that movie because I took very little to make sure that the bulk of the money ended up on screen,” she said. “But I was so fulfilled and it was a different kind of fulfillment because it didn’t come attached to a check. It was just watching [director] Elegance [Bratton]’s dreams come true. And watching Jeremy soar, and Raúl [Castillo], and all of these young amazing actors….to really watch them be put on.”

Union found additional meaning in the community she built during the project.

“To be in community and in partnership with Effie Brown, legendary producer Effie Brown, to bring that to life, that felt very successful,” she said. “I’ve never cried at a premiere from a different kind of joy…of being like, ‘I’m pretty solid at this.’ I don’t always get the opportunities to show that, but I am capable. And that felt like a massive win, and it gave me such peace.”

Gabrielle Union explains why independent films aren’t always the best financial decision

Still, balancing passion projects with financial realities has never been easy, especially as life circumstances evolve. Union opened up about how her financial decisions often have to adjust with her responsibilities, particularly as a caretaker.

“I mean, it ebbs and flows as your bills ebb and flow,” she said. “More recently, my father’s [been] in memory care. I don’t know if anyone else has ever dealt with memory care, nursing homes, what’s covered by insurance [and] what’s not, home health aides… that all adds up.”

With mounting personal responsibilities, she acknowledged she can’t always afford to say yes to passion projects.

“Having to really be cognizant of an additional output, I have to go where the money goes,” Union explained. “I don’t have the luxury of taking all the independent films that I want because I can’t afford to pay for my extended family in the way that they have grown accustomed to.”

Gabrielle Union on the importance of multiple streams of income

She also pointed to the importance of endorsements and building multiple income streams to sustain the work she truly loves.

“I have to factor in endorsements and brands and brand building… so when you see us have 50-11 jobs, there’s a reason,” she said. “We don’t get paid what y’all think that we get paid. And that check is split so many ways. You have to have multiple revenue streams to do the job that you really love [be] your main thing.”

Ultimately, how creative she can afford to be depends on how much she’s earned in a given year.

“So it kind of depends on what I’ve made that year on how creative I can be,” Union added. “And that’s a damn shame.”