Sandra Bullock has had quite an impressive career that has spanned multiple decades. During this time, she has proven her worth in the industry, having starred in several iconic films and explored various genres to reach the heights of success she has today.
However, when one has been a part of the film industry for as long as she has, it is only inevitable that one will experience some prejudice or unfairness. For Bullock, it came in the form of one project that she tried desperately to launch for quite some time, only for it to become successful without her involvement.
Sandra Bullock’s Million Dollar Attempt
Million Dollar Baby is one of Clint Eastwood’s most successful films. On top of being a commercial success, the film managed to appeal to the critics in the best ways possible. It won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress. Additionally, the film also has a 90% rating on Rotton Tomatoes.
With how much success this film has had, it is surprising to find out that it was originally Sandra Bullock who was trying to make it happen. During an interview with The Times, the actress revealed that she was originally supposed to play the role of Maggie Fitzgerald and was working very hard to get the film made.
I don’t know if they weren’t interested in female boxers, or whether they were just not interested in me playing a female boxer,
However, it would seem that no studio was interested in funding the project. Bullock mentioned that she was unsure why this kept happening, hypothesizing that studios were, perhaps, not interested in making a film about a female boxer.
Although, what happened next made her wonder if they were simply not interested in her playing a female boxer.
The One That Got Away
Even though Sandra Bullock was trying really hard to get Million Dollar Baby off the ground, it simply was not happening. However, eventually, the film came into the hands of the legendary filmmaker and director, Clint Eastwood. The director ended up getting Hilary Swank to star in the film, and it became the critically acclaimed masterpiece it is known as today.
However, one cannot help but wonder why the same result did not come when Bullock saw the potential in its story. The actress spoke on her thoughts on the matter, explaining that she thinks that her gender had something to do with the difference in behavior.
Even though she was a household name when this was happening, it wasn’t until Eastwood stepped in that people started to take the story more seriously. Although some might say that the director’s reputation in the film industry may have helped him get people’s favors, there is no denying that the sudden change seems odd.
I’m not sure if that was sexism. I just barrelled on through. I had blinkers on for most of my career. It was only much later that I realised, ‘Oh my God, I’m being treated this way because I’m female.’
Regardless, Bullock seems to have come out of the entire situation having learned a lesson. The actress explained that she used to get very confused about why certain things happened in Hollywood. It was only when she realized how much is affected by sexism that things came into perspective for her.
