Before Sandra Bullock became one of the highest-paid actresses and one of the most revered ones in Hollywood, she was a struggling performer who had featured in TV films and independent films. The actress got her big breakthrough when she starred in Speed along with Keanu Reeves, which went on to earn $350 million against a $37 million budget.

The action film is best known for its bus stunt sequences and edge-of-the-seat thrilling scenes. The film, along with Point Break, established him as an action hero. While Bullock became a huge star after the film, she joked that she was only chosen because if she died while filming, it would not be a huge headline because she was not a big actor.

Sandra Bullock On Why She Was Cast In Speed Along With Keanu Reeves

Sandra Bullock in Speed | Credits: 20th Century Fox

Sandra Bullock is one of the most recognizable stars in Hollywood now. An Oscar winner and one of the highest-paid actresses in the world, Bullock established herself as a prominent leading lady in films like Miss Congeniality, Gravity, The Proposal, Bird Box, and The Blind Side.

Bullock’s breakthrough role in the mainstream was in the action film Speed. She starred as Annie Porter, a passenger who is tasked to drive the bomb-ridden bus that cannot go below a certain speed. The Keanu Reeves starrer was a huge commercial success, earning over $350 million against a $37 million budget (via Box Office Mojo).

A still from Speed | Credits: 20th Century Fox

While Halle Berry was reportedly first offered the role of Annie in the film (via ET), Sandra Bullock was eventually chosen and it became her calling card. While director Jan de Bont insisted that she was the right person for the role, Bullock theorized that she was cast for a different reason. Speaking on its 30th year anniversary (via EW),

‘Cause if you killed me, I wasn’t a big actor at the time. [The headline] would’ve been, ‘Actor dies in stunt in a Keanu Reeves movie.’…I was happy to be there. I was excited. I didn’t think I’d be getting the job. The only reason I got this job is because I was fought for.

The actress also joked that she only got the job because other people turned it down. She also mentioned that she got her bus driver’s license for the film.

Keanu Reeves Was Not The First Choice For Speed

Keanu Reeves in Speed | Credits: 20th Century Fox

It is impossible to think of anyone other than Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves for the roles of Annie and Jack in Speed. While Bullock reportedly faced rejections from the studio but was backed by director Jan de Bont, the main role of Jack Traven was reportedly supposed to be played by someone else.

 According to screenwriter Graham Yost, the first choice for the film was action star Tom Cruise and then Tom Hanks. He also said to EW that they went to multiple others before zeroing in on Keanu Reeves. He said,

We went to the Toms first — you know, you go to Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks — and I think Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson, who were going to do Money Train. We went down many different avenues. The way I recall it, someone’s kid at the studio said, ‘What about Keanu Reeves? He’s hot.’

While the makers were initially skeptical, they reportedly considered it after liking his performance in Parenthood and his experience in action films with Point Break.