Sandra Bullock

Born: 26 July 1964
Where: Arlington, Virginia, USA

The ex-cheerleader for whom the term "kooky" was invented, Bullock is Hollywood A List by virtue of comedies including While You Were Sleeping and Miss Congeniality.

Away from the romantic comedy genre, she also impressed as the bus passenger forced to take the wheel in the accomplished action thriller Speed opposite Keanu Reeves and Dennis Hopper.

The daughter of a German opera singer, she was voted girl "Most Likely To Brighten Up Your Day" by her high school, where she also performed as a cheerleader.

Bullock studied acting at East Carolina University and after graduating moved to New York to pursue a dramatic career.

She immediately landed some off-Broadway roles and TV-movie work as well as appearing in several small screen sitcoms.

In 1987 she debuted with a small role in the action thriller Hangmen and two years later landed the female lead in Who Shot Patakango?.

She went on to play a supporting role in the 1993 remake of the European thriller The Vanishing with Jeff Bridges and Kiefer Sutherland.

However, it was as Sylvester Stallone's sexy partner in the sci-fi action movie Demolition Man that she attracted widespread attention.

A year later, she starred with Reeves in the smash hit Speed and was nominated for a Golden Globe as Lucy in the 1995 rom-com While You Were Sleeping.

The same year she starred in the sci-fi thriller The Net and appeared opposite Matthew McConaughey in the thriller A Time To Kill.

In 1997, she unwisely signed up for the dud Speed II sequel (Reeves passed on the offer) and went on to write, produce, direct and co-star in her own movie, Making Sandwiches.

A year later she executive produced Hope Floats, which generally gained favourable reviews and performed well at the box office.

For 28 Days she spent time in a rehabilitation centre for her role as a recovering alcoholic.

Her performance in Miss Congeniality as a tomboyish undercover FBI agent landed her another Golden Globe nomination for best actress.

In 2002, she played a cop in the psychological suspense-thriller Murder By Numbers and also starred in in Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

Pairing up with Hugh Grant, she returned to her rom-com roots for Two Weeks Notice and later reprised the role of Gracie Hart in Miss Congeniality 2.