Sandra Bullock opens up about motherhood, taking a hiatus from acting

Bullock is mom to son Louis and daughter Laila.

March 21, 2022, 9:44 AM

Sandra Bullock opened up about motherhood and her decision to take a hiatus from acting in an exclusive interview with "Good Morning America."

The Oscar winner, whose new movie, "The Lost City," is out now, spoke to "GMA" co-anchor Michael Strahan about stepping away from Hollywood to spend more time with her two children, son Louis and daughter Laila.

"Right now I don't want to create anything that takes me away from just being present," she said. "I don't want to be doing a lot of things at one time that don't service the one thing that I want to be around -- my family."

Bullock, 57, said she didn't know how long the hiatus would last, but did say she arrived at her decision because of how much time she spends away from them when working on a project.

PHOTO: Sandra Bullock attends a screening of "The Lost City" at the Whitby Hotel on March 14, 2022 in New York City.
Sandra Bullock attends a screening of "The Lost City" at the Whitby Hotel on March 14, 2022 in New York City.
Jamie Mccarthy/Getty Images

"Because of my job I have to go away for long chunks during the day. I take them everywhere, but that's a 15-hour day and then you come home and if you're producing you're on calls," she said. "They miss you."

When asked what her favorite part about being mom to Louis and Laila is, Bullock said it's "probably the fact that I didn't have my children when I was still searching for who I was." In short, it's all about timing.

"I needed to grow up," she said. "I know who I am. I know what I'm not. I'm always growing, but I don't feel that I'm angry going, 'I'm missing out on life because I have [kids].' No."

She went on, "I look at my life before my kids and I don't want to say it felt like a waste of time, it just felt like I was rushing to a destination that didn't exist. Now I'm here and I don't want to be anywhere else."

Bullock also reflected on her impressive Hollywood career, notably co-starring in 1994's "Speed" with Keanu Reeves nearly 30 years ago and winning the Academy Award for "The Blind Side" in 2010.

Of "Speed," she recalled how "kind and inclusive" Reeves was, saying, "He was the star. I was just happy to be there."

Michael Strahan sat down with Sandra Bullock for a question lightning round, including the best advice she's ever been given and what occupation she'd pick if she weren't an actress.
Michael Strahan sat down with Sandra Bullock for a question lightning round, including the best advice she's ever been given and what occupation she'd pick if she weren't an actress.

Despite having been in some of the most beloved films of all time, including "Miss Congeniality," "The Proposal" and "Gravity," just to name a few, Bullock said she isn't a fan of rewatching her movies.

"Just because you're looking at it going, 'I could have done better. Oh, I wish I would have spoken up. Ugh, I look terrible.' You know?" she said. "You just start looking at it like a really angry critic."

As for winning her Oscar, Bullock admitted she doesn't remember every detail about that big night because Louis a toddler and Laila was a newborn at the time.

"I had no sleep," she said. "I was drooling. I was so tired. It's one of the moments I'd love to go back and go, 'Wow, I wish I could just be present for that moment.'"