HELEN

interview
it’s a typically hot afternoon in
Austin, Texas, and hometown girl
Sandra Bullock is shooting a beauty
pageant scene for her new movie,
Miss Congeniality. The wacky comedy
of errors sees the star of 28 Days
and Speed playing Gracie Hart, a
tough FBI agent who poses as a beauty
pageant contestant to investigate a bomb
threat. But Bullock is more than just the
on-screen talent for this one — Miss
Congeniality marks her fifth foray into producing
(after Gun Shy, Trespasses, Hope
Floats and Our Father). Donald Petrie (My
Favorite Martian) directs Bullock and her
co-stars Michael Caine, who plays a
pageant consultant, and Benjamin Bratt,
who stands in as Gracie’s friend and fellow
FBI agent.
For this scene, Bullock is standing on a
flower-festooned stage, flanked by three
other “contestants,” while several hundred
enthusiastic extras act as their audience.
Despite the “Miss New Jersey” sash draped
across her torso, and heels which are clearly
too high for her, Bullock manages to look
glamorous in her Donna Karan gown. She
teeters over to the edge of the stage. “I’ll
be right with you,” she says warmly, and
motions to a room at the back of the stage.
She grabs a couple of Evian waters and
finds the nearest sofa.
Within minutes, it becomes clear that her
status in Hollywood as the “Queen of Nice”
isn’t just hype. Finding a celebrity of this
stature without any phony affectations is a
refreshing change. In fact, with her humour
and down-to-earth charm, it’s damn near
impossible not to like her.
sandra bullock TALKS ABOUT GETTING ALL DOLLED UP FOR HER NEW MOVIE,
MISS CONGENIALITY, AND WHY SHE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO CUT IT ON THE PAGEANT CIRCUIT
Bullock preens
in Miss Congeniality
BY MICHELE MANELIS
queen
BEAUTY
famous 22 december 2000
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