Sandra Bullock

SANDRA BULLOCK

The crown of America’s Sweetheart has been worn by many, swapped by a few, and disowned by those who wanted to be taken a little more seriously.  In recent years, it has been bandied about between Meg, Julia, Reese, Rachel and, of course, Sandra Bullock.

Sandra Annette Bullock was born on July 26, 1964 in Arlington County, Virginia -- she is the daughter of John Bullock, a Pentagon contractor and part-time vocal coach from Alabama, and Helga Meyer, a German opera singer.  Paternally, Sandra is descended from a prominent family in early Alabama history for whom Bullock County is named.  Sandra’s maternal grandfather was German rocket scientist from Nuremberg.  Sandra lived in Nuremberg (and other European locations) until she was 12-years-old, frequently traveling with her mother on opera tours, studying ballet and vocal arts, and singing in the Staatstheater Nürnberg children’s choir.  She retains German citizenship to this day.

After returning stateside, Sandra attended Washinton-Lee High School, where she was involved in school plays and cheerleading.  In 1982, after graduation, she enrolled in East Carolina University.  During her senior year in the spring of 1986, while only three credits shy of graduating, Sandra dropped out to pursue acting.  She moved to Manhattan and supported herself by bartending and cocktail waitressing.  Sandra later completed her college coursework and earned a Bachelor’s Degree.

While taking acting classes at the Neighborhood Playhouse, Sandra appeared in several student films, as well as the Off-Broadway play No Time Flat.  Director Alan J. Levi was so impressed by Sandra, he offered her a starring role in the 1989 cheese-fest telefilm Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman -- Sandra played the new bionic girl.  Deciding to stay in Los Angeles after this, Sandra landed supporting roles in several independent films, as well as the lead role in NBC’s short-lived TV version of the film Working Girl.  More film work followed, including Love Potion No. 9 and The Thing Called Love.  In 1993, Sandra caught a big break when she was cast opposite Sylvester Stallone in Demolition Man.

SANDRA BULLOCK

It wasn’t until the following year, however, that Sandra was cast (alongside Keanu Reeves) in her star-making role as Annie Porter in Speed.  The film was a worldwide smash -- suddenly everybody wanted to work with “Sandy.”  In 1995, Sandra proved she could carry a film to big box-office with her lead role as Lucy in While You Were Sleeping.

After winning America’s hearts as Annie and Lucy, Sandra’s career sputtered a bit.  The Net and Two If by Sea didn’t make much of an impact, a supporting role in A Time To Kill (opposite Matthew McConaughey) fared better, and In Love and War was DOA (though it deserved better).  Taking a huge paycheck ($12.5 million) for Speed 2: Cruise Control, Sandra herself later referred to the film as a “piece of shit.”  So true -- one of the worst films of all time.

Better films followed, including Hope Floats (which she also executive produced), Practical Magic, Forces of Nature, Gun Shy, 28 Days, Miss Congeniality, Murder by Numbers (also executive produced), Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Two Weeks Notice (also produced), Crash, Loverboy, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (also produced), The Lake House (reuniting her with Speed costar Keanu Reeves), Infamous, and Premonition.  In 2009, Sandra successfully returned to rom/coms with The Proposal, costarring Ryan Reynolds.

Financially speaking, Sandra is one of the most successful Hollywood actresses of all time.  In 2007 she was ranked as the 14th richest female celebrity with an estimated fortune of $85 million.  She also runs her own production company, Fortis Films -- her sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, is president of the company and her father, John Bullock, is CEO.  Between 2002 and 2007, Sandra was an executive producer of The George Lopez Show -- its syndication deal earned Sandra an estimated $10 million.  Sandra made sporadic cameo appearances on the show as "Accident Amy," a klutzy factory worker.

SANDRA BULLOCK

Unphased by her wealth, Sandra has twice donated $1 million to the American Red Cross.

Sandra also owns an Austin Texas restaurant called Bess Bistro.

Romantically, Sandra was previously linked to football player Troy Aikman, musician Bob Schneider, and actors Tate Donovan, Ryan Gosling and Matthew McConaughey.  Though notoriously skittish about getting married (“I've always been petrified of marriage.  I've always thought that someone would want to change me, and I'd be locked up like this veal specimen in a box”) on July 16th, 2005 Sandra married motorcycle builder and Monster Garage host Jesse James.

Up next: All About Steve, and The Blind Side.

UPDATE 4/30/2010 – Sandra went on to win a 2010 Best Actress Oscar for her role in The Blind Side.  Soon after which, her marriage to Jesse James went up in smoke with the news of James' well-publicized (to put it mildly) infidelity (to put it delicately).  America sided with Sandy on this one, as do I.

Sandra Bullock Quotes:

“Fame means when your computer modem is broken, the repair guy comes out to your house a little faster.”

“I have no desire to maintain a lifestyle.  I am a horrible celebrity.  If I am out in public I dress like a pig.”

"Everyone told me to pass on Speed because it was a 'bus movie'.”

“I've learned that success comes in a very prickly package.  Whether you choose to accept it or not is up to you.  It's what you choose to do with it, the people you choose to surround yourself with.  Always choose people that are better than you.  Always choose people that challenge you and are smarter than you.  Always be the student.  Once you find yourself to be the teacher, you've lost it.”