MAIN Art & ... Pop Culture Actresses Sandra Bullock

Fun-loving and charismatic (and voted in high school as the person Most Likely to Brighten Your Day), Sandra Bullock was born in Washington, D.C., on July 26, 1964.

With an opera singer mom, Bullock was exposed to show business at an early age and after briefly attending East Carolina University moved to New York to pursue an acting career. Theater was her first stop, with appearances on Off Broadway leading to television bit parts and small roles in film.

A minor breakthrough role in the early '90's saw her starring opposite Sylvestor Stallone in Demolition Man, leading up to her blockbuster role in the summer mega-hit Speed opposite Keanu Reeves that finally put Bullock's career on an upward projectory.

More success followed in the mid-90's with starring roles in the comedy While You Were Sleeping and in the drama, A Time to Kill, opposite Matthew McConaughey. The actress rounded out the decade with a rollercoaster ride of slumps and successes including forgettable roles in such movies as Two If By Sea in 1996 and in the disastrous Speed 2: Cruise Control a year later, but she later rebounded in the romantic comedy, Practical Magic alongside Nicole Kidman and in Miss Congeniality opposite Benjamin Bratt and Michael Caine.

Bullock's performances include starring roles in the comedy Two Weeks Notice with Hugh Grant, and in Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Bullock later reprised her role as undercover beauty queen/FBI agent Gracie Har in Miss Congeniality 2.

Offscreen, the actress made headlines when in July 2005 she married reality TV star Jesse James at a ranch near Santa Barbara, California.

In 2006, Bullock played real life author Harper Lee ("To Kill a Mockinbird) and friend to writer Truman Capote in the film Infamous and also starred in the mystery thriller Premonition.

2010 Oscar & Razzie winner

Although a string of Hollywood box offfice bombs has plagued the actress of late, (including comedies such as "The Proposal" and "All About Steve") Bullock has reemerged as one of America's leading actresses with such hits as The Blind Side for which she won best actress at the 2010 Oscar awards.

Ironically, Sandra Bullock was also nominated and WON a 2010 Razzie award as Worst Actress for her role in All About Steve.

More about Sandra Bullock around the Web:

Destination Hollywood Tribute to Sandra Bullock - A filmography, famous movie lines, facts and trivia, photos and a messageboard.

Sandra Bullock Central - Online community with news and updates, photo uploads and picture galleries, plus movie clips and trailers with paid membership.

The Sandra Bullock Picture Site - Just like it says, along with a brief biography, filmography and related links.