Sandra Bullock and pal Keanu Reeves reunited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film Speed, giving fans major nostalgia.
The pair joined the film’s director, Jan de Bont, at Beyond Fest at American Cinematheque at Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles on Tuesday, October 8. They also participated in a Q&A session to discuss making the 1994 film and its legacy.
“It just dawned on me why you wanted me in the role: because if you killed me, I wasn’t a big actress,” Sandra, 60, told Jan, 80, in a playful exchange. “It would’ve been ‘Actor Dies in Stunt in a Keanu Reeves Movie.'”
For the Academy Award winner, getting to portray Annie Porter in the action thriller was the role of a lifetime.
“I was just happy to be alive at the end of the day,” Sandra reflected. “I was new to the game, so I wasn’t aware of what was happening or what felt right or what was not supposed to feel a certain way.”
Sandra also appeared in the film’s 1997 sequel, Speed 2, with Jason Patric and Willem Dafoe. When asked if she was interested in doing a Speed 3, Sandra hilariously replied, “The geriatric version? It won’t be fast!” adding that she wasn’t sure if she’s “in an industry anymore that’s willing to tolerate it and be brave enough to do” a third installment of the franchise.
The red carpet appearance at the event marked the first for Sandra since the death of her partner, Bryan Randall. The photographer died on August 5, 2023, following a private five-year battle with ALS.
On July 26, Sandra celebrated her 60th birthday, her first birthday since Bryan’s death. Ahead of the milestone, an insider told Closer that she planned to have a low-key day with her kids, Louis and Laila.
“It’s bittersweet that the two dates, Sandra’s birthday and the anniversary of losing Bryan, are so close to each other. She and the children will commemorate both, though,” the insider said in May. “They’ve gone through it all together. She wants to show them that it is healthy to grieve, but it’s also OK for their lives to move forward and to enjoy happy times again.”
The source noted that Sandra leaned on friends like Keanu, 60, and Jennifer Aniston to help her manage her grief. The Blind Side actress took a step back from making public appearances and taking acting roles after Bryan’s death.
“Sandra decided to take the hiatus for Bryan, for herself, and for the kids,” the insider explained. “Sandra has slowly been doing more and trying to be a strong example.”
In May, she joined Keanu on the “50 MPH” podcast to chat about Speed’s 30th anniversary.
“Before I die, before I leave this planet, I do think that Keanu and I need to do something in front of the camera,” Sandra said about a potential future collaboration with her former costar.
“Are we, you know, in wheelchairs or with walkers? Maybe. Maybe,” Keanu jokingly said when asked if a third speed movie was on the horizon.
