SANDRA BULLOCK & BETTY WHITE
IT’S BEEN 11 YEARS SINCE THEY CO-STARRED TOGETHER, BUT THIS DYNAMIC DUO ARE STILL CRAZY ABOUT EACH OTHER
They became fast friends after making 2009’s The Proposal. Now, the funny ladies open up about their special bond.
In January, Sandra Bullock teamed up with Ryan Reynolds to sing “Happy Birthday” to Betty White on Instagram. In the hilarious clip, the two co-stars of The Proposal got very competitive while vying for Betty’s affection. “Happy birthday from Sandy, who loves you more than Ryan,” the Oscar-winning actress sweetly sang into the camera.
In show business, where ego and jealousies make real friendships hard to find, the two actresses share a rare and very special bond. “We fell so in love when we did The
Proposal together,” explains Betty, 98, who played eccentric Grammy Annie in the 2009 rom-com. “[Sandra] was just unlike anybody I know in this business. Not only a talent, not only gorgeous, but also she is just a human being. There is no ‘movie star’ about her at all. She is just somebody you want to know for the rest of your life.”
Sandra, 55, also has words of high praise for the veteran actress. “I just think she is incredible, as a human being, as a storyteller, to have dinner with, to hang out with, to work with, to share jokes with, to share your husband with, she is just — yes, she is a man-stealer but I am OK with that because I like her so much,” Sandra joked.
TWO OF A KIND
Despite the age gap, Betty and Sandra have more in common than you’d imagine. Both are dedicated performers who are passionate about their careers but who have also cultivated reputations for being down-to-earth and genuinely nice. They are each great believers in the power of giving back to causes like the American Red Cross and The Humane Society. And, of course, they love to laugh and share a naturalborn comedian’s flair for a funny quip. “Sandra adores everything
“I want to have the life and the outlook and the joy that she does.” — Sandra on Betty
about Betty, but especially her ability to make fun of herself, which Sandra does, too,” explains a friend. “They are both honest people who wear their hearts on their sleeves. Neither takes themselves too seriously.”
Sandra, who played comedic parts on TV before her breakout role in 1994’s
Speed, has been a longtime admirer of Betty’s work. “Betty’s been in the game from the beginning, and as Sandra says, she’s still ‘kicking it,’” says the friend. “She finds her charming and hilarious. She’s the epitome of grace and sassy spunkiness.”
Those qualities made Betty a beloved part of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and
The Golden Girls. Over seven decades she has earned eight Emmy Awards and been nominated a whopping 21 times! “She’s taught Sandra a lot about comedy, timing and staying power in the business,” shares the friend, “although Betty knows that Sandra’s career is on the right track.”
GIRL TALK
Betty has also been a mentor to the younger actress on a personal level. Her capacity for finding happiness — even after losing her beloved husband, Password host Allen Ludden, in 1981 — remains an inspiration to everyone she meets. “She has done something with her life that is pretty extraordinary. Having dealt with some sadness and loss, she has turned that into such a passion for what she does now,” says Sandra. “She’s been working for decades in a business that doesn’t exactly value getting older.”
The admiration goes both ways. Betty particularly approves of how Sandra handled her own highly public trauma with strength and grace. In 2010, a series of women claimed they had sexual relationships with Sandra’s then-husband, motorcycle designer and reality TV star Jesse James. The scandal, which broke a mere 10 days after Sandra won a best actress Academy Award for The
Blind Side, upended her life and made her an object of gossip and pity. “[Sandra] handled it so beautifully,” gushes Betty.
“She’s the epitome of what a movie star should be. She’s like the nicest person on the planet.” — Betty on Sandra
“Instead of avoiding the subject, she said, ‘Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.’ And she is. She’s such a class act.”
In the years following Sandra’s divorce, Betty has offered up her advice on romance and marriage. “She told Sandra to make sure the next one loves and adores her without competitiveness or jealousy,” says the friend, who notes that Betty “gave her stamp of approval” to Sandra’s current beau, photographer Bryan Randall.
The couple, along with Sandra’s two children, Louis, 10, and Laila, 8, have visited Betty at her home in Los Angeles. “They’ll bring lunch or dinner with them, or if Betty feels up to it they’ll rent a back room at a restaurant,” says the friend, who adds that Sandra never tires of hearing Betty’s stories. “She appreciates her history in Hollywood. Betty was breaking barriers for women before anyone.”
At 98, Betty has slowed down a little but remains upbeat and vibrant. “She doesn’t have any major health problems, except the issues that come with old age: walking, aches and pains,” reveals the friend, who adds that Betty often uses a walker around the house for safety. “She says she is ‘creaky,’ but Betty still likes to drink, laugh and tell stories.”
Sandra admires how the years haven’t drained Betty’s effervescent spirit or dulled her quick wit. “I want to have the life and the outlook and the joy that she does,” Sandra gushes. “If I could have half of Betty White’s satisfaction and joy and insight and zest for life at half her age, I would be satisfied.”