Gabrielle Union Almost Starred In This Iconic TV Drama

In July 2013, Gabrielle Union revealed that she was in the running to be the lead in ABC's hit series "Scandal" (via Yahoo News).

Although Union lost the role to Kerry Washington, she says the experience made her hopeful. By auditioning for the role of the White House's crisis manager Olivia Pope, Union became hopeful that there would be more creative and diverse, likable characters cratered towards Black actresses.

"I said to myself, 'Oh my God, these roles are out there,'" Union recalled. "It showed me that you don't have to settle. Luckily, the success of her and the show bred more work. Just from the audition process, I knew that I couldn't go backward."

Despite losing the role, the opportunity encouraged Gabrielle to find similar roles for Black women. For the actress, "Scandal" was a stepping stone that led her to BET's hit show, "Being Mary Jane."

"I didn't get 'Scandal,' but I got something better — which is my own show," Union told Yahoo. "It's all about building a legacy. This new opportunity is something I feel that can grow."

"Being Mary Jane" had 5 seasons. The fourth finale of the hit show ranked in a total of 2.1 million viewers. According to a BET Press release, the critically acclaimed show was the highest original telecast of the fiscal year 2019.