12 surprising facts about Virginia native Sandra Bullock

Learn more about Virginia’s own Hollywood darling with these 12 facts about Sandra Bullock.

Actress Sandra Bullock got her first big break in 1994 when she portrayed Annie Porter in the action thriller movie “Speed.” Since then, Bullock has starred in countless major motion pictures, from “Miss Congeniality” and “The Proposal” to “The Blind Side” and “Bird Box.” She’s remained a beloved star throughout her decades-long career and is often referred to as America’s Sweetheart in the media.

But before Bullock was dominating the box office and grabbing attention on red carpets, she spent her days in Virginia. Bullock, a Virginia native, was born in Arlington and attended Washington-Lee High School. She spent most of her childhood in the Old Dominion State (when she wasn’t living abroad—more on that below) before moving to North Carolina for college and later New York to pursue an acting career.

Despite spending decades in the public eye, there is still a lot about Bullock that many people don’t know. Keep reading to discover 12 facts about Sandra Bullock that may surprise even the biggest of fans.

1. She was the highest-paid actress—twice

Bullock was the highest-paid actress of 2010, earning about $56 million. (That same year, she was also named to Time’s People Who Mattered list, following the success of her 2009 film “The Blind Side.”) Bullock was the highest-paid actress again just a few years later in 2014, earning about $51 million. Her starring role in the film “Gravity” contributed to her significant earnings.

2. She made history as the first female lead to bring a film past the $200 million mark

“The Blind Side” shattered box office records and became the first female-helmed movie to earn more than $200 million. The Oscar-winning film earned $208.5 million in box office sales within its first seven weeks and ended up grossing more than $300 million globally.

3. She’s a restaurateur 

Bullock opened her first restaurant, Bess Bistro, in Austin in 2006. (The French bistro shut down in 2016.) In 2009, Bullock opened Walton’s Fancy & Staple—a bakery/deli/flower shop—across the street from Bess Bistro. Walton’s Fancy & Staple is still open and serves a decent selection of wraps and sandwiches for lunch, as well as dishes like shrimp and grits, challah French toast, and biscuits and gravy for breakfast.

4. She’s fluent in German

In addition to having multiple income streams, Bullock also speaks multiple languages. She spent part of her childhood living in Germany and therefore holds German citizenship and is fluent in the language. Bullock’s mom was a German opera singer, and her dad was stationed in Germany as a soldier during World War II.

5. She took piano lessons for 12 years

Bullock took piano lessons for more than a decade, and during a “Peel & Ask” segment with Wired, she admitted she “hated every minute of it.”

6. She survived a plane crash

In December 2000, Bullock and her then-boyfriend, musician Bob Schneider, were involved in a plane crash in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The plane skidded off the runway and sustained extensive damage, but Bullock, Schneider, and the two crew members on board escaped unharmed.

Somewhat ironically, about a year before the real-life crash, Bullock starred in “Forces of Nature,” a movie about two people who meet on a plane that suffers an accident shortly after taking off.

7. She only has one Oscar

Despite an impressive career featuring lead roles in numerous beloved movies, Bullock has only won one Oscar. She won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in “The Blind Side.”

“Did I really earn this or did I just wear you all down?” Bullock joked when she accepted her Oscar. “I would like to thank the Academy for allowing me in the last month to have the most incredible ride, with rooms full of artists that I see tonight and that I’ve worked with before and I hope to work with in the future, who inspire me and blaze trails for us.”

Bullock’s role in “Gravity” also earned her a nomination for Best Actress, but the Oscar went to Cate Blanchett for her performance in “Blue Jasmine.”

8. She’s incredibly generous

After the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, Bullock donated $1 million to the American Red Cross. But that’s not the only time she made a substantial donation to the organization. In 2004, following a tsunami in Indonesia, she donated another $1 million to the American Red Cross, and in 2005, she gave the organization $1 million for relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. In 2017, she donated an additional $1 million to the American Red Cross to support Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey.

“There are no politics in eight feet of water. There are human beings in eight feet of water,” Bullock told People after Hurricane Harvey.

9. She discovered George Lopez

While searching for new talent to work with, Bullock attended one of George Lopez’s comedy shows. Lopez was relatively unknown at the time, but the pair met after the performance to discuss the possibility of a new TV show. Bullock went on to executive produce all 120 episodes of “George Lopez,” which aired on ABC from 2002 to 2007. Bullock even acted in a few episodes, playing the role of one of Lopez’s coworkers.

“She changed the direction of my life and everybody that’s in my family, and for no other purpose than she just thought I was funny,” Lopez told Us Weekly of Bullock.

10. She was voted “Most likely to brighten your day”

Years before she was voted Miss Congeniality on the big screen, back in high school, Bullock was named by her fellow seniors as the person “most likely to brighten your day.” This sweet superlative is something Bullock said required some effort on her part to win.

“I worked for that one. I worked every morning. I came in and I was like, ‘Hey, how’s it going?’” she told Good Morning America.

11. She’s allergic to horses

Bullock loves horses, but unfortunately, she’s also allergic to them. Bullock learned of her allergy while filming a scene for the movie “Two If By Sea” that involved horses. She confirmed the allergy on a new segment of “The Late Show” called “Bullock or Bullocks.”

12. Her dogs wear special seat belts in the car

Bullock takes the safety of her family—pets included—seriously. The star had special seat belts made for her dogs, Ruby and Poppy, so they could ride safely in her car.

Other celebrities from Virginia

Bullock may be one of the most famous celebrities from Virginia, but she isn’t the only one. Singer and actor Wayne Newton was born in Norfolk, former professional basketball player Allen Iverson was born in Hampton, rapper Chris Brown was born in Tappahannock, rapper Missy Elliot hails from Portsmouth, and musician Pharrell Williams is from Virginia Beach. Several others also own mansions across the state.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Related: 7 celebrities who own mansions in Virginia