Sandra Bullock Is Leaving Acting 'For A While' To Be In Her ‘Happiest’ Place: With Her Kids

Mar 18, 2022

Sandra Bullock is one of Hollywood's biggest stars but she's also a doting mother to her two kids, 12-year-old Louis and 10-year-old Laila. The 57-year-old adopted Louis back in 2010 and Laila in 2015. 

In Dec. 2021, Bullock opened up about what it's like raising her kids on an episode of "Red Table Talk," the Facebook talk show hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith, her mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris and daughter Willow Smith. Bullock admitted it wasn't always easy. One reason was that Laila was already 3 when the star adopted her and had some trauma from going through the foster care system. The actress also acknowledged other difficulties she'd had.

Another reason was related to the fact that her children are Black and she is white. Bullock spoke candidly about how she gets worried when she thinks about her kids growing up and going into the world on their own, especially Louis.

The actress opened up once again about her children and the future of her acting career in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in March 2022. As she promoted her movie "The Lost City" alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Bullock revealed that she was going to step back from acting "for a while" in order to be with her "babies" and family. She spoke about taking her work very seriously and that it is a "24/7" job for her, so in order to focus on her family she has chosen to take a break from acting for an unspecified amount of time.

Bullock lived with her partner of over six years, photographer Bryan Randall, and together they raised her two children. 

Tragically, Randall passed away on Aug. 5, 2023, after a long battle with ALS or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as reported by People.

Bullock didn't explicitly use the word retire during the interview with ET's Cassie DiLaura but she did talk about her upcoming hiatus from Hollywood. When asked about the break she said:

"Right now, and don't know how long that'll be, I need to be in the place that makes me happiest."

She added, "I take my job very seriously when I’m at work" and said it's a "24/7" job for her. She then explained:

"And I just want to be 24/7 with my babies and my family. That's it. And we don't know how long or how short but that’s where I’m gonna be for a while."

The news might come as a surprise for some but considering how open Bullock has been about her love of being a mom to her two children, it makes sense. When asked what "momtivities" she was looking forward to the most, she said, "servicing their every need, their social calendar." She went on to reveal that she's an extra cautious mother since we're still in a pandemic. She said:

"All the parents know me as the crazy lady with the pandemic. So they know their children will return without COVID when they’ve come to our house."

Taking a hiatus is obviously very important to Bullock, who must have planned the break for some time, as her IMDb page shows that apart from the two films releasing in 2022 she has no upcoming projects, either as an actress or producer. "The Lost City," which she's currently promoting, costars Radcliffe, Channing Tatum and Brad Pitt and was released on March 25, 2022. Later that year, "Bullet Train," which also costarred Pitt, was released.

Bullock's relationship with Randall appeared to be true love, as the actress gave insight into their romance in the last couple of years. After a messy divorce with Jesse James that ended in 2010, Bullock met Randall when she hired him to take photos of Louis’ 5th birthday back in 2015. Their relationship blossomed and he became her boyfriend. He went on to be a wonderful father figure to her two kids. She confessed to Instyle:

“For the kids he’s sort of number one and I’m number two. But I get it because he’s more fun and has better treats.”

During Bullock's appearance on "Red Table Talk," the actress gushed about her relationship and the family she and Randall had together. She said:

“I found the love of my life. We share two beautiful children — three children, his older daughter. It’s the best thing ever.”

She added:

“He’s the example that I would want my children to have. I have a partner who’s very Christian. And so, there’s two very different ways of looking at things. And I don’t always agree with him. And he doesn't always agree with me. But he is an example even when I don’t agree with him that I go, ‘If they can take away from that, and if that is where they feel drawn to, then he’s the exact right parent.'"

Tragically, Bullock's relationship with Randall was cut short due to his untimely death in August 2023.

Since the actress didn't officially retire, we can only hope that when she's ready, she'll be back on the big screen. 

What do you think about Sandra Bullock taking time off to be with her kids and family? Let us know your thoughts and pass this on so others can read about it too.