Sandra Bullock has enjoyed an illustrious career that has been marked by numerous successful years in the spotlight. The Academy Award-winning actor has delivered stellar performances in high-profile films such as A Time to Kill, The Blind Side, and Gravity, the latter two of which garnered her acclaim and recognition at the Oscars.

In 1994, Bullock experienced a breakthrough with the action thriller Speed. Directed by Jan de Bont in his feature film directorial debut and featuring notable stars like Dennis Hopper, Keanu Reeves, and Jeff Daniels, the film propelled Bullock into the spotlight. While she had already left an impression with Demolition Man the year before, Speed solidified her status as a prominent figure in the film industry.

However, as is common with many moderately successful action films, especially the highly triumphant ones, the inclination to capitalise on the success often leads to the production of a sequel. This was the case with Speed, which took a regrettable turn with its 1997 follow-up, Speed 2: Cruise Control. While Keanu Reeves was initially set to reprise his role, he withdrew from the project, and Jason Patric stepped in as his replacement.

Aside from action films, however, Bullock has also taken up a number of notable roles in romantic comedies. For instance, she played pushy editor-in-chief Margaret Tate in The Proposal, liberal lawyer Lucy Kelson alongside Hugh Grant’s George Wade in Two Weeks Notice, and widowed witch Sally Owens in Practical Magic. She also, of course, played tomboy agent Gracie Hart in the popular action comedy Miss Congeniality.

During the 1990s, Bullock also shared the screen with then-highly popular male leads like Matthew McConaughey in A Time To Kill, Harry Connick Jr in Hope Floats, and Ben Affleck in Forces of Nature. Since 1996, she has also taken on a producer role for many of her films. While the past couple of decades may have solidified what appears to be her more recognisable tropes, she insists there is no intentional branding and attributes it all to happenstance.

However, when it comes to romantic comedies, Bullock notes one particular flaw: these films all marked the path towards the romantic comedy genre that has largely defined her career, but she has a significant discomfort with the label “romcom chick”.

“Usually comedy is only available to us ladies in the romantic comedy,” she told The Guardian. “That’s why I hate romantic comedies. I want to make comedic-comedies – let’s get back to being funny!”

Bullock has also previously shared her opinion toward sequels, referencing Speed 2 in particular as one that was a “stinker”. In conversation with Daniel Radcliffe, she explained: “Every one of them has been an absolute stinker. You have nothing but success with sequels. One was better than the other. They’re all brilliant; mine are all stinkers.”