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Sandra Bullock

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Sandra Annette Bullock was born on July 26, 1964, in a Virginia suburb of Washington DC. Her mother was an opera singer, her father a voice coach, and it wasn't long before the youngster established her own showbiz credential by singing in the children's choruses of her parents' productions.

She was also something of a tomboy, and was determined to beat the boys on her street at their own games. Indeed the hoydenish characters she has played in films like Miss Congeniality and Forces Of Nature contain more than a little of her real-life persona. "I was a tomboy by necessity," says the actress. "There were so many boys in our neighbourhood and I didn't want to be left out of the games, so I took up every sport I could. I was a deadly skateboarder!"

But there is also a more serious and creatively accomplished side to Sandra. Since breaking into the big time with the 1994 Keanu Reeves vehicle Speed, she has gone on to make her mark as a producer, with movies like Two Weeks Notice and Hope Floats.

In the former film, her on-screen chemistry with Hugh Grant sparked rumours of a real-life romance. Ever the professional, Sandra studiously avoided denying the tabloid reports, which generated more publicity for the project than any ad campaign could hope for. "Hugh is better at it than I am," she later admitted. "And I liked watching him do it."

Her career choices have followed a similarly considered strategy. The mantle of "America's Sweetheart", which followed her role in Speed, was simply a stepping stone to becoming a Hollywood power player. "Had I not made Speed 2, I wouldn't have had the clout to produce Two Weeks Notice," she reveals. "It's about having real control."

There's no doubt that Sandra has come a long way from her first efforts at drama, studying acting at East Carolina University. As an aspiring thespian she worked at an ice-cream parlour, before moving on to a series of minor roles in New York theatres.

Now commanding upwards of $15 million a movie, Sandra is ranked among Hollywood's most bankable actresses. With such status comes the inevitable frustrations, and there has been relentless interest in her romantic life. Indeed her friends have compared the Tinseltown press to a matchmaking mother trying to marry off a favourite daughter. And her name has been linked to those of several Hollywood hunks.

When she filmed Speed 2, it was co-star Jason Patrick. Then came A Time To Kill and reports of a romance with Matthew McConaughey. More recently she was linked with Hugh Grant. However it is biker Jesse James who is currently stealing her affections, after they met on his Monster Garage television show in December 2003.

As yet Sandra is not engaged, in part, perhaps, because she is determined her family life will be every bit as successful as her silver screen career. "The only reason I haven't married yet, is because I take it too seriously," she says. "I only want to do it once. I want to do it right."

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