Sandra Bullock reveals why she walked away from rom-coms

Sandra Bullock explains why she left rom-coms behind and chose dramatic roles after facing criticism of the genre too

Sandra Bullock has opened up about the career decision that led her to step away from romantic comedies and pursue more dramatic roles.

During a conversation with Jennifer Aniston for Interview magazine, Bullock recalled two moments when she deliberately made choices about the direction of her acting career. The first came before she became a working actor, when she was auditioning in New York while working as a waitress.

Bullock said she encountered inappropriate behaviour during auditions, including people asking her to drop her pants. She recalled refusing and continuing to work towards establishing herself as an actor.

The second major career decision came after Bullock had become a box office star. She said she eventually felt the need to stop making romantic comedies because she was receiving significant criticism for appearing in them.

Bullock chose the 2004 drama Crash as an opportunity to challenge herself and demonstrate a different side of her acting abilities. The film went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture, while Bullock received a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of its ensemble cast.

Before Crash, Bullock had become closely associated with romantic comedies through films including While You Were Sleeping, Two Weeks Notice and Miss Congeniality. She later returned to the genre with The Proposal in 2009 and The Lost City in 2022.

Reflecting on her career, Bullock acknowledged that leaving comedy felt risky because it was her comfort zone. However, she said she now misses that type of work and wants to return to it.

Bullock’s comments come as she reprises her role as Gillian Owens in Practical Magic 2, continuing her long-running connection with comedy and romance on screen.