A display unit includes: a display panel; an illumination device illuminating the display panel; and a drive circuit driving the display panel and the illumination device. The illumination device includes a light modulation layer, and a first electrode and a second electrode sandwiching the light modulation layer therebetween, the first electrode and the second electrode each include a plurality of strip-like electrodes. The strip-like electrodes of the first electrode and the strip-like electrodes of the second electrode extend in directions intersecting with each other, and the drive circuit drives the respective strip-like electrodes to allow an in-plane distribution of a potential difference between the strip-like electrodes of the first electrode and the strip-like electrodes of the second electrode to be constant within one frame period, when a two-dimensional image, a three-dimensional image, or an image including a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image is displayed on the display panel.