Gabrielle Union has heaped praise on Jessica Alba.

Gabrielle Union

Gabrielle Union

The 45-year-old actress stars with the 'Fantastic Four' actress in a new television pilot which was spun off from the 'Bad Boys' film franchise, and has nothing but kind words for her co-star, whom she says is one of her "favourite" people to work with "ever".

She said: "Jessica has been truly one of my favourite co-stars ever. We have similar wicked senses of humour - kind of like you two ladies - but we really enjoy working together."

Gabrielle stars as her 'Bad Boys' character Syd Burnett in the pilot for NBC, and explains that their roles follow the lives of Syd and Jessica's character Nancy, who are both LAPD detectives.

Speaking on the 'Today' show, she added: "So, Jessica plays Nancy McKenna, a mom and a cop, and I play - I'm reprising my role from Bad Boys II, Syd Burnett, and it's where Syd is, what, 17 years later, and yeah, we're both LAPD Detectives."

On top of being a successful Hollywood star, Gabrielle also released her autobiography 'We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True' in October, and recently said that writing the book was "therapeutic".

She said: "Writing my book, 'We're Going to Need More Wine', was therapeutic ... whether I was talking about sexual assault, failed marriages or finding joy in being my authentic self. Acknowledging you're in pain is the first step, and then seeking help. The online community is full of people going through the exact same thing you are."

The 'Being Mary Jane' star details her alleged rape ordeal in her book, and has said that whilst she was "terrified" to talk about the incident - which occurred when she was working at her part-time job at a Payless Store in 1992 - she believes it is important to "keep talking out" about it to support other victims.

She said: "Rape is the most under-reported crime in the world. I have to keep talking out because people feel like they're the only ones.

"They feel like are on an island by themselves; they feel like they are screaming into a hurricane and nobody is listening and I am just trying to say, 'I'm listening. I hear you. I've been there, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.'

"I didn't think anyone but my therapist was going to see it [my story]! It was therapeutic in writing it, but now that I am handing it over to the world it feels terrifying."