Sandra Bullock has had a successful career as an actress and producer in Hollywood, spanning over three decades. She began her acting career in the late 1980s. Bullock starred in numerous successful films throughout the 1990s, including the romantic comedy While You Were Sleeping (1995) and the thriller The Net (1995).
Bullock’s breakthrough role came in 1994 when she starred in the action-comedy film Speed alongside Keanu Reeves. The movie was a huge commercial success and established her as a leading actress in Hollywood. She won numerous awards for her performance, including an MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance. However, she was once considered for a hit role that eventually went to her co-star, Keanu Reeves.
Sandra Bullock Was The First Choice For Keanu Reeves’ Role
Before Keanu Reeves got cast as Neo, the Academy Award winner was offered the iconic role. In an interview with The Wrap in March 2019, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura revealed that they had approached numerous individuals and were struggling to find the right fit.
Among those considered was Sandra Bullock, who had worked with the producers on Demolition Man and was a close friend of di Bonaventura. A copy of the script was sent to her, and if she expressed interest, they would explore the possibility of altering the role accordingly. They even proposed changing the gender of the character to accommodate Bullock’s involvement.
“We went to Sandy Bullock and said, ‘We’ll change Neo to a girl.’ [Producer] Joel Silver and I worked with Sandy on Demolition Man, and she was and continues to be a very good friend of mine. It was pretty simple. We sent her the script to see if she was interested in it. And if she was interested in it, we would try to make the change.”
Despite the offer, Bullock declined the opportunity as it didn’t pique her interest at the time. “So really, it didn’t go anywhere,” di Bonaventura explained.
Sandra Bullock’s Is Nothing Short Of Tremendous
In 2000, Bullock starred in the hit comedy film Miss Congeniality, which she also produced. The film was a commercial success and spawned a sequel, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005). Bullock also produced and starred in the romantic comedy Two Weeks Notice (2002), which was also a box-office success.
Bullock’s most successful and critically acclaimed film to date is the 2009 drama The Blind Side, in which she played a wealthy woman who takes in a homeless teenager and helps him fulfill his potential as a football player. The film was a huge box office success and earned Bullock numerous accolades, including an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Bullock has continued to take on challenging and diverse roles, including the lead role in the science fiction film Gravity (2013), for which she received another Academy Award nomination. She also starred in the all-female heist film Ocean’s 8 (2018) and the thriller Bird Box (2018), released on Netflix.
The Matrix is available for streaming on HBO Max.
Source: USMagazine
