Sandra Bullock is an absolute sweetheart who has captivated audiences’ hearts with her acting prowess.

From making her acting debut with a minor role in 1987’s Hangmen, she dazzled audiences with her works in the 1990s. Her insane versatility led her to explore a variety of genres from romantic comedies to dramatic roles, thus making her one of the most respected actresses in the industry. 

Sandra Bullock

However, recently, she has been surrounded by strings of controversies due to a project that she was associated with back in 2009. The movie in question is the sports drama film, The Blind Side which follows the story of NFL star, Michael Oher, who overcame several hurdles to play the NFL with the help of Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy.

In the movie, the former played the role of Anne, thus getting a fair share of criticism this year. However, this criticism could have become Julia Roberts’ problem had she portrayed the crucial role in the movie.

Julia Roberts Was Offered to Play Sandra Bullock’s Role in The Blind Side

Julia Roberts

Before Sandra Bullock got associated with The Blind Side, film director, John Lee Hancock approached Julia Roberts to play the leading female role. In addition to that, Leigh Anne’s character was specifically written with the latter in mind but she eventually chose to pass down the opportunity. 

The lady whom Bullock portrayed in the movie explained the reason why the Pretty Woman actress passed down the role. She told the Deseret News,

“My part was completely written for Julia Roberts by 20th Century Fox. She was locked, she was loaded, everything was great. We were on G waiting for O. At some point, she realized that there was a time constraint in this because John Lee (Hancock, writer/director) was very specific of how he wanted to film ‘The Blind Side.’ She’d already had two commitments, and she could not fit that time frame and they worked, they tried to juggle and it just didn’t happen.”

While her decision to turn down the role didn’t appear to be a great decision since Bullock won an Oscar for the same, she somehow dodged a bullet. Even Bullock had her doubts about taking on the character, Talking with the New York Times, she shared,

“I thought I was going to be responsible for destroying this man’s two-year journey to tell this story.”

Her concerns eventually went away as the Speed star gained universal acclaim for her portrayal. However, it somehow engulfed her into an uproar after the footballer made some major revelations. 

Sandra Bullock’s The Blind Side Controversy

The Blind Side (2009)

Based on Michael Lewis’s 2006 book of the same name, the movie has been under public scrutiny after real-life inspiration, Michael Oher made some major revelations. Oher claimed that he was never legally adopted by the Tuohys family which contrasted the movie plot.

He mentioned that the family deceived him into signing a conservatorship form when he was 18. He further alleged that the family racked major profits from the movie thus filing a lawsuit to end his conservatorship to the Shelby County, Tennessee court.

Meanwhile, the Internet demands Bullock to return her only Oscar, which she won for her portrayal of Oher’s adoptive mother in the movie.

Megan Fox rose to fame after starring in Michael Bay’s monster hit franchise Transformers in 2007. The massive popularity of the movie paved the way for another sequel, which last saw the actress. Her role as Mikaela Banes was cut short when she left the project after the release of Revenge of the Fallen.

Megan Fox in Transformers

The accounts regarding her departure were debated by the different parties involved, but the most popular narrative was that she was fired after making nasty comments about the movie’s director. This resulted in her being replaced in the third movie, Dark of the Moon.

Megan Fox Reflects On Getting Fired From Michael Bay’s Transformers

In an interview with Cosmopolitan UK, Jennifer’s Body star Megan Fox opened up about her departure from the Transformers franchise. After making negative comments about Michael Bay in another outlet, the actress was immediately fired. She said:

“That was absolutely the low point of my career. But without — ‘that thing,’ I wouldn’t have learned as quickly as I did. All I had to do was apologize — and I refused. I was so self-righteous at 23, I couldn’t see [that] it was for the greater good. I really thought I was Joan of Arc.”

During her interaction with British magazine Wonderland, Fox revealed that Bay was “a nightmare to work for” and he “wants to be like Hitler on his sets.” The actress also claimed that she and co-star Shia LaBeouf almost died on the set and Bay would let them “do some really insane things” that insurance cannot cover. Fox stated:

“He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is. So, he’s a nightmare to work for, but when you get him away from set, and he’s not in director mode, I kind of really enjoy his personality because he’s so awkward, so hopelessly awkward. He has no social skills at all.”

Megan Fox in Transformers

Due to these comments, executive producer Steven Spielberg ordered Fox’s exit. The star’s Hitler reference could have also served as a factor since the renowned filmmaker is of Jewish faith. The actress confessed:

“It hurt me and a lot of other people. However, that darkness that descended caused enormous and brisk spiritual growth. Once I realized I [had] brought it on myself, it was an invaluable learning experience, looking back on it.”

Fox was replaced by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley for the role of Carly Spencer. Her absence from the third saga was only covered up with a breakup story, and Sam Witwicky’s new girlfriend is basically the same character with a different name and face.

Megan Fox Revives Her Career After Transformers Fiasco

Megan Fox and Michael Bay

After Michael Bay and Megan Fox had made amends, the director hired the actress again in the 2014 reboot and the 2016 sequel of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, where he served as an executive producer.

While Fox’s career stalled after getting fired from the Transformers films, she turned it into a learning experience and ultimately revived her career. Her new projects include Expendables 4, Johnny & Clyde, and the voice of Nitara in Mortal Kombat 1.