Gabrielle Union talks Cheaper By The Dozen (Disney+), Representation and more!

Kyle McMahon talks with Gabrielle Union about Cheaper By The Dozen, Representation in media and more on Pop Culture Weekly


Kyle McMahon  0:00  
Thank you so much Gabrielle, for speaking with me. I really appreciate it.

Gabrielle Union  0:03  
No, I  appreciate you having me today.

Kyle McMahon  0:05  
Of course. So first of all I love Cheaper by the Dozen. It's a great film, it really for me is a kind of like a throwback to when I was a kid. Like, I feel like we're missing a lot of those movies today. But it's got this very current more representative of the world we live in. Now, why was it important for you to play Zoey.

Gabrielle Union  0:30  
I mean, as a as a, as a black mom who's a part of a large blended family, who's you know, my extended family has always been very inclusive of all kinds of people, you might have a grandma aunt, a cousin, you know, like a few neighbor people all living, you know, in the house together. And but I've never seen that reflected and celebrated on on screen. And I wanted to be a part of that I wanted to be a part of, of making that change. And showing people that real diversity and inclusion in front of and behind the camera is actually a great business move, like diversity actually pays off for the in in a dollars and cents way. Not just it's fulfilling to your soul, or it should be, but it's actually a great business.

Kyle McMahon  1:16  
And, you know, I couldn't be said better. It's, you know, people want to see themselves on screen, you know, and they want to see their stories play out in the media that they consume. I mean, it just makes sense. And you look back to somebody like Tyler Perry, who you know, was putting out these kinds of almost independent movies with Madea and audiences were flocking to go see them because there weren't movies like that where they could see their aunt Madea on screen. And and, you know, finally I think Hollywood and the business side is starting to catch up. You do you know, you as you just said, you have a kind of a blended family. Did you see yourself your family, you know, in the care in Zoey?

Gabrielle Union  2:07  
No, absolutely. I mean, trying to juggle all the things like the kids, your own personal ambition, being present, you know, having things happen with other family members, you know, now now there's a cousin that we're, you know, you know, nephew that we're going to raise all of that is that is my life. But watching her and watching the family, figure it out, and CO parents, you know, with their former spouses and realize that when you put the peace and sanctity of your kids first how beautiful co parenting can be, how amazing blended families can be when you when you recognize and respect and nurture each person where they're at. Yeah, all of that I relate to the whole the whole thing. And it's, it's beautiful. We just never we literally never see it, which is weird.

Kyle McMahon  2:59  
It's very weird. I mean, my godson is half black and half white, he, you know, his father is white, his mother is black. And he, you know, him and I were talking about this a few months ago, he doesn't see himself in that family on screen as and I didn't even really think about it. Because, you know, I'm being ignorant to me, to my, to it because of, you know, the way I was raised and that privilege that comes with that. And I'm like, Wow, holy crap, you know what I mean? Cuz he's obsessed with Miles Morales from spider man. And he's like, you know, he looks like me. And I was like, and, you know, he's, and he doesn't see that. And so we're having this conversation with this, you know, little I'm having this conversation with this little kid who I adore. And I'm like, wow, that is tragic. You know what I mean? Like, that's just absolutely insane. And I'm glad that you know, powerhouses like yourself, are, you know, coupling with powerhouses like Disney and making movies where representation not only matters but but is just is done so without needing to. I don't want to say be woke, but like needing to make a big deal about it. Because it these families just exist. These people just exist, you know, you don't need a plotline to explain it. They just fell in love. And that's the end of it, you know what I mean?

Gabrielle Union  4:28  
No, and usually, we there's so much exposition where you have to make it make sense versus and these two people fell in love. And then they had kids, they had kids with their other spouses, and they all have to work together to figure it out. You know, where we where we go in, you know, a bit deeper on some of the you know, the the more issues of the day, if you will, we do it in an age appropriate, you know, family friendly way where it's clear who the villains are and why ate. And it's also clear how you can move through it and learn from it and grow from it but still stay together and still be unified as a family, which was important now, how I handle things in my real life very, very different. But I, you know, Zoey Baker is much more graceful, and compassionate and very high road, very much of a high road kind of person. I think the high road is empty, because it sucks. But you know, we got to get there, you got to get to the end result, which is having more representation and real diversity and inclusion in front of and behind the camera where folks of color are actually in positions of power and can actually influence and force change.

Kyle McMahon  5:45  
Absolutely. I'm a huge horror fan. And, and it's been a real problem in horror for representation. And I was talking to Elvira about it actually, and how, you know, we love it, she was saying instead of Oscar, so white horror, so white, and we were saying how you know, somebody like Jordan Peele, who's just this creative genius, and you know, everybody loves him. And then he has empowered people like Nia d'acosta, who comes in makes Candy Man. And so it's not just representation in front of the cameras behind the camera to which is just as important for the people that are telling these stories, as the people that we see acting out these stories and, and I just hope that it continues. And you know, you're a huge part of this just opening these floodgates to, you know, reality, the world that we live in. And if people have a problem with that, that's their problem. Because, you know, that is the reality of the situation.

Gabrielle Union  6:40  
And you're gonna you're gonna get left behind.

Kyle McMahon  6:42  
Exactly, you're going to get left behind. Exactly. And I'm with you on the high road. I tried to take it, but it just said, sometimes I'm just like, You know what, your your thoughts are outdated, and will die off soon enough. So, but thank you so much for speaking with me. Oh, and by the way, you've had an illustrious career, just named a couple of years ago, one of the most 100 influential people in the world. But I think my favorite thing that you've done, one of my favorites is saved by the bell, the new class where you were both Hillary and Jennifer. So just a shout out to that character. Gabrielle, thank you. 

Gabrielle Union  7:19  
(Laughs) Thank you, I appreciate it.

Kyle McMahon  7:20  
Have a great day. 

Gabrielle Union  7:23  
Alright, you too man.

Kyle McMahon  7:23  
Bye

Transcribed by https://otter.ai