Actress Sandra Bullock was originally invited to the Virginia Film Festival to receive the Virginia Film Award, traditionally given to a member of the film industry who has made significant contributions to his or her state. But when asked what she's done for Virginia, Bullock expressed her perplexity with being accredited for home state accomplishments.
"Well I kind of go, 'What contributions did I make to the state?'" Bullock joked. "I know I did a lot of doughnut sales for collections when I went to the Pep Club. ... If there's something that I did, it makes me really happy and really proud."
Born and raised in Arlington, Va., Bullock credits her mother's German background for making her "like the rest of America -- a little bit of this, a little bit of that." But the two-time People's Choice Award winner for favorite film actress said she still strongly identifies with her Virginian roots.
"It's very much who I am," Bullock said. "It's nice to step off the plane [in Virginia] and feel the humidity and the changing leaves. There's just a feeling that's very Virginian."
Bullock added that "Virginia is for lovers," and she still has the T-shirt from puberty to prove it. What she said she didn't keep from her teenage years, however, is her attitude toward authority.
"In high school, my teacher hated me," Bullock said. "I think there was a love-hate thing going on there because I think I had talked back too much. And I did have a problem with authority at that time, so it was probably my fault."
Bullock said that in her high school years she was able to perform a lot of improv skits based on Carol Burnett or Jerry Lewis works, in a sort of "free-form" atmosphere. But once she arrived at East Carolina University, she entered an intensive acting program where stress and competition were the norm, and "you didn't giggle in class."
"Where I was one way in high school, that was not allowed in that structure anymore," Bullock said. "So by the time everyone left that program -- people that were able to get in and were lucky enough -- you left with such an appreciation for the work that needed to be done. ... What homework do you do, what do you learn about the character before the character even walks on the screen, what background do you know that never goes on screen but that you take with you."
While Bullock barreled through a rigorous drama program at East Carolina, her sister was studying at the University. Bullock recalled fond memories of visiting the place where "the smart one of the family" went to school. During her acceptance of the Virginia Film Award, Bullock credited her sister for her support.
"Maybe we'll make this [speech] about her -- and we should," Bullock said.
Bullock adamantly refused to claim that she's made it to the top on her own, and instead explained that she "got really lucky" by surrounding herself with "really talented, smart people," like her sister. But there's at least one personality trait that she won't relinquish from her younger years.
"I'm the life of the party," Bullock said.
Bullock's down-to-earth attitude in front of the camera is not consistent with what she describes as being "very anal about work and schedules and being on time and discipline" off camera, which she said drives her toward roles that allow her to play characters that are more free-spirited than herself.
"Once you do it for a while, it sort of gets in you anyway," she said.
Bullock is also serious about how she views her role and the role of the celebrity in general. She said that she sees no shame in saying "that's private life" to avoid an invasive question and constantly works to manage her time for friendships and priorities outside of her work. She also sees no shame in asking for money from friends in the industry for charity events instead of simply making appearances at benefits.
One might wonder how time management has worked out for Bullock as she has tackled several different careers within the film industry over the years, including a brief directing stint to which she said she will never return. She currently enjoys serving as the head of her own production company.
"I like the opportunity to find talent -- whether it's actors or directors or cinematographers or set designers -- and put everyone together," she said. "You still get the ego rush of having discovered someone. You don't necessarily have to be in front of the camera to get that satisfaction."
Though she noted a special satisfaction in nailing a joke that is "hard to pull off" or "a matter of timing," Bullock has demonstrated great versatility in the roles she's assumed in action, comedy, drama and horror films. Asked if there was any genre she wouldn't do, Bullock thought of just one.
"Absolutely -- pornography," she laughed. "They've not asked me -- I don't know why."
Bullock's vast experience as an actor, a director and a producer has enabled her to elaborate on every aspect of the film industry. One such aspect is the advancement of technology in the industry by which Bullock said she does not feel threatened as an actor.
"It's difficult for actors, but they can't live without us," she said. "I know they keep talking about reproducing us in a hologram and not needing us around, but there's the human factor, and the unexplained and the spontaneous that you don't get from technology."
Another issue that Bullock addressed regarding the modern film industry is the relationship between locations for movie productions and tax incentives.
"In terms of drawing filmmakers and the film industry, it always comes down to money," she said. "Especially trying to keep films inside the United States, you have to find the place that offers tax incentives."
In addition to emphasizing the effect of tax incentives on the budget of a movie, Bullock pointed out the importance of that budget in the filmmaking process.
"The pressures you feel on a blockbuster because there's so much money riding on it are insane," she said. "There's so many cooks in the kitchen. The pressures of something that has a higher budget is hard -- often the creativity is lost because you are not forced to think of a character-based choice to help you move the scene forward."
Although Bullock said that she loves "guerrilla filmmaking," she recognized the difficulties that come with the lack of a blockbuster budget.
"I love doing little independents for my friends, and the scripts are generally more interesting, and you're allowed to say and have more complex experiences in independent films than you are in more sort of commercial-based films," Bullock said. "But independents are becoming more and more difficult to make -- it's all about financing, it's usually coming from several different places, inevitably it falls through."
Bullock also said she sees the racial barriers in Hollywood breaking down.
"I don't want anyone to assume anymore that it [has to be] a white leading male," she said. "Find the best actor, make sure that person's in that role, and stop with the color lines, and that's when the product will rise to a higher level."
According to Bullock this is just what happened with the sitcom "The George Lopez Show" for which she is the executive producer.
"No longer are people saying, 'George Lopez: the longest running Latino sitcom,'" she said. "They are saying, 'It's one of the longer-running sitcoms.' All of a sudden it doesn't become about race anymore -- it just becomes about the quality of work."
Bullock also said that the success of the show has led to an increase in opportunities for Latino actors.
"The minute [the show] started doing well and it started hitting... you'd see the casting agents start looking for more Latino actors," she said. "It became cool to be a Mexican guy who talked about his grandmother that slapped him around."
Besides her work on "The George Lopez Show," Bullock has been busy with two film projects -- "Miss Congeniality: Armed and Fabulous" and "Crash," an independent film that addresses race issues through three intertwining plots.
Read More
It’s okay not to be okay
By Mai Hukuoka | 2 days agoWhether talking to a friend, a loved one or a professional, it is so necessary, and human, to need more than you can provide for yourself.
Taking a break at Tangerines Kitchen
By Charley Thomas | 4 days agoWhat the restaurant somewhat lacks in ambiance, it compensates for in tasty dishes and prompt service.
Virginia Policy Lab — a hub for student-led policy action
By Katherine Haden | December 9, 2024Students propose their own projects and collaborate with other members to research their issues of interest, brainstorm solutions and write policy proposals.
