During a 1995 report from People magazine, Bullock told the story of how she almost didn’t take up the role of Annie in Speed, “Everyone told me not to do Speed. I mean, it looked like I’d be just ‘the girl,’ but I’ve learned to do things by instinct.”
The role ended up being the catalyst that put her in the spotlight with major Hollywood actors, so it’s a good thing she ended up trusting her instincts or we may not have seen her rise to her level of stardom.
Bullock's Big Performance
The now-celebrity-status Bullock managed to grab the role of Annie Porter in the action-thriller movie film 'Speed', even when up against far more established names in the business. The studio initially considered hiring Halle Berry or Ellen DeGeneres as Annie, but eventually went with Sandra Bullock, due to her great chemistry with Keanu Reeves.
This was no ordinary audition either. The film included many action scenes and the chemistry between the leads had to feel real. Sandra recalls that they had to do "all these really physical scenes together, rolling around on the floor and stuff." just to get the part.
A Real Real Bus Driver
The film proved to be a huge success, earning around $350 million worldwide. Her role as Annie Porter was critically acclaimed by Rotten Tomatoes, saying it was a “terrific popcorn thriller [with] outstanding performances from Keanu Reeves ... and Sandra Bullock".
For the movie, Bullock had to learn how to drive a bus. There was no room for stunts or staging a vehicle in motion and she drove the real thing. She later went on to reprise her role in the 1997 sequel, Speed 2: Cruise Control.
Sandra Bullock is a Mom to 2 Adopted Kids
Bullock is the proud mother of 2 beautiful adopted children. She adopted her son, Louis, in 2010. The adoption process originally started with her ex-husband, Jesse James, but after splitting up Bullock decided to continue the adoption process as a single parent.
A few years later, she claims that her son Louis inspired her to adopt a second child. She told Hello! magazine that becoming a mother was an obvious decision for her, "When I look at Laila, there’s no doubt in my mind that she was supposed to be here," noted Sandra. "I can tell you absolutely, the exact right children came to me at the exact right time."
Questioning Her Motherhood
Being a mother isn’t always fun and games though. It’s not an easy job for anyone, as she stated in an interview, "Am I the mother my son deserves? Am I living my authentic life, am I good enough, working hard enough, am I able to keep my son safe? Did I pick up all the dog poop in the yard before the playdate? Worrying used to be very paralyzing for me, and now I can talk myself off the ledge," she admitted.
Recently, Sandra has said that her daughter is going to achieve great things in life. Thank she is fearless and will pass any obstacle that comes her way. Her son on the other hand has a totally different personality, being as she describes 'her 78-year-old son'.