Sandra Bullock's Most Iconic Roles
On the actresses's 58th birthday, L'OFFICIEL breaks down nine of Sandra Bullock's most iconic roles.
Back in March of this year, a collective cry was heard across the world. Why? Sandra Bullock announced she was taking a break from acting. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, the actress explained it was time to take a step back and focus on other things: her family.
The actress opened up and explained, "I need to be in the place that makes me happiest. I take my job very seriously when I'm at work, and it's [a 24/7 job]. And I just want to be 24/7 with my babies and my family," according to Entertainment Weekly.
While this is sad news for Bullock fans everywhere, her cult classic films aren't going anywhere. Fans can still relive the laughs in Miss Congeniality and relive the heart-pumping anxiety of Bird Box, and more. Fans will also get to see Bullock on the big screen for the last time later this month, with the release of Bullet Train.
On the actress's 58th birthday, take a walk down memory lane with L'OFFICIEL, as we break down ten of Sandra Bullock's most iconic films—ones we'll be sure to be watching until she returns.
In one of her earlier roles, Bullock dazzles alongside actress Nicole Kidman, as the two play sisters Sally and Gillian Owens—both witches— in this 1998 film. After their family is put under a curse that causes the loved men in their lives to die, preventing them from ever having a forever love, we see their lives play out in mystical and unique ways, until they're forced to come face-to-face with the curse.
In the 2000 film, Miss Congeniality, Bullock plays an awkward tomboy Gracie Hart, an FBI agent-turned-undercover-pageant-girl. Aside from delivering hilarious dialogue like, "I am in a dress, I have gel in my hair, I haven't slept all night, I'm starved, and I'm armed! Don't mess with me!,” Bullock also received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.
Reprising her role as Gracie Hart, Bullock returns for more pageant fun. Only this time, she isn’t actually participating in the pageant, she’s saving her pageant friends who have been kidnapped. With powerhouse actress Regina King also in the cast, this movie takes viewers along for a comical ride.
In this hilarious rom-com, Bullock plays Margaret Tate—an extremely tough and hard-to-handle boss. But when she finds out she is going to be deported back to Canada, she concocts a plan to fake marry her assistant Andrew Paxton, played by Ryan Reynolds. In this hilarious film, the two bring the heat, the hate, and the humor. And who doesn't remember that scene of Bullock and Betty White singing "Get Low" by Lil Jon?
In this heartwarming film based on a true story, Michael Oher, a homeless teen, is taken in by the Tuohy family and develops a close bond with matriarch Leigh Anne (Bullock). The actress's role as a protective and caring mother figure earned her multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a SAG Award, and a Golden Globe.
In this 2013 film, Bullock and actress Melissa McCarthy, work together as law enforcement individuals to bring down a drug lord, delivering countless belly laughs along the way.
Gravity follows Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock) and Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) as they find themselves trapped in space. The sci-fi film, released in 2013, won a total of seven Oscars and landed Bullock multiple nominations including an Academy Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture.
After spending time in prison, Debbie Ocean (Bullock) is ready for her next hustle: to rob a necklace worth over 100 million dollars at one of the most photographed events of the year—the Met Gala. Starring alongside other well-known names in Hollywood, like Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, and more, Bullock had viewers asking themselves, “Could someone actually pull this off?”
In this horror, thriller film, fans quickly learn that the majority of society has been killed by this mysterious, evil force. And if you look at the force, you die. Throughout the film, Bullock tries to get to safety—all while blindfolded.
After Bird Box came out in 2018, Bullock didn’t appear on the big screen again until 2021 in The Unforgivable. In this Netflix film, Bullock plays Ruth Slater, a woman leaving prison after serving a long sentence. Now, she has a mission. She wants to find her little sister, who was only a little girl when she went off to prison. Much different than her previous rom-com roles, Bullock once again showcased her exceptional acting talents.
