Sandra almost quit acting over sexism

Onto scar-winning actor Sandra Bullock says that sexism in Hollywood made her think about quitting acting altogether. “My career has been a domino effect of people who said, ‘I would like this person to fill this role,’” usatoday.com quoted Bullock as saying.

The sexism came as a shock because Bullock was raised with the idea that women were equals — which they are. She says, “My mother raised me like, ‘You don’t need to get married, you forge your own path. You make your own money, and be your own person.’

And I literally went out into the world thinking there was no disparity, that everyone was equal, and I can do whatever a man can do.”

It wasn’t until later in her career that Bullock had a “wake-up moment”. She recalls, “I was like, ‘What is this feeling? Why do I feel so *#@*?’ Oh, my God, I’m being treated this way because I have a vagina.’” Bullock did not get into any specifics about the sexist behaviour that she was subjected to, though she said it had a lasting effect.

“It was hard for me because I walked with blinders on through life and got to where I [felt] like I was less than [an equal person] because I was a woman. And that was a hard pill to swallow. I had a lot of sadness from that. I was like, ‘Wow, maybe I need to step out of here. Maybe I need to do something else for a living.’ And that was in the middle of when I was getting work — I didn’t want to be a part of that world where there was that experience,” says Bullock.

The actor has consistently been one of Hollywood’s top stars, and her latest film is Ocean’s 8, a spin-off of the franchise started by Ocean’s Eleven. The film just had its premiere in New York.

SEXISM CAME AS A SHOCK TO ACTOR SANDRA BULLOCK

PHOTO: STUART C. WILSON/GETTY IMAGES Sandra Bullock stars in Ocean’s 8