In 1964, Sandra Bullock was born in a Virginia suburb of Washington, DC, to a voice teacher and a German opera singer. She grew up on the road with her parents and younger sister. She often performed in the children's chorus of whatever production her mother was in. That singing talent later came in handy for her role as an aspiring country singer in _The Thing Called Love (1993)_ (qv). Her family moved back to the Washington area when she was a teenager. She later enrolled in East Carolina University in North Carolina, where she studied acting. Shortly afterward she moved to New York to pursue a career on the stage. This led to acting in television programs and then feature films. She gave memorable performances in _Demolition Man (1993)_ (qv) and _Wrestling Ernest Hemingway (1993)_ (qv), but did not achieve the stardom that seemed inevitable for her until her work in the smash hit _Speed (1994)_ (qv). She now ranks as one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood.
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Sandra Bullock
- (on marital plans) "I've always been very sceptical about marriage, because I only want to do it once; I want to do it the right way."
- 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.
- "I remember sitting down in 'Joel Silver (I)' (qv)'s office and Joel going, "Do you want to do this film?". I remember going, "I would like to do it, but I would love to talk about the character, and it was almost like I had said the biggest joke".
- The only reason I haven't married yet, is because I take it too seriously.
- 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.
- "The Acadamy Awards shouldn't even nominate 'Meryl Streep' (qv) anymore. She should just be given an award every year. There should just be the 'Meryl Streep' (qv) category".
- "Everyone told me to pass on _Speed (1994)_ (qv) because it was a 'bus movie'".
- I'd rather take risks than make something that's cookie cutter.
- The first _Miss Congeniality (2000)_ (qv) gave me the chance to do broad comedy that had nothing to do with being the romantic interest. The girl-next-door thing went away with that film and I tend to do characters that I want to be more like. In the beginning, though, I was sort of the 'action girl'. And then with _While You Were Sleeping (1995)_ (qv), I was the romantic-comedy girl. But when I took time off, I thought, 'There's something I'm missing here.' I literally had to start from scratch.
- I don't like to talk about personal things. ... And by keeping it private, you have a better shot at a healthy relationship. I learned at a young age that there are certain things you just don't talk about.
- I don't think there's ever what could be called a 'chilled state' in my head.
- "My goal now is to remember every place I've been, only do things I love and not say yes when I don't mean it." quoted in WOMAN'S WORLD (7-5-05)
- "If I'm blessed with that, I hope I am the best version of me that I can possibly be." - on motherhood to People Magazine.
- Movie sex scenes are never romantic, and you're never swept off your feet. It's always very technical....I'm counting the beats: Okay, we're supposed to kiss for two beats, then I say my line, then they want another kiss for four beats. I'm going, One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three and break. It's like choreography. Sometimes you have actors who feel it's their job to get as far down into your throat as possible. You're like, Excuse me, I like you, but not that much.
- Why do you need one? I don't understand why there needs to be a love interest to make women go see a film. I think society sort of makes us feel that way - that if you don't have a guy, you're worthless.
- On _Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)_ (qv): That was a mistake but, in retrospect, how are you supposed to know?
- (On how it felt and what it said about life that she was nominated for a Razzie and an Oscar for Best Actress within 2 days in 2010): That life is perfectly balanced.
- I used to be an optimist, but now I know that nothing is going to turn out as I expect.
- [Contrasting highs in her professional life with lows in her private life] Whoever established the high road, and how high it was going to be, should be fired.
- The sexiest man alive? My husband and then, Keanu!! (2006)
- [on 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close', her film about 911] The story is about honoring people's grief, while giving them permission to have it. And I loved that it showed generations in pain, and how they healed each other by listening and talking.
- [on being changed by motherhood] I cry at everything now... I've become more open to surprises and feelings.
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