PSA: Sandra Bullock’s new role was written for George Clooney

By Rachel paige

September 9, 2015

By Rachel paige

September 9, 2015

We often hear about movies that cast one actor in a role, and then at the last second recast them with someone else. It’s Hollywood. It happens. Something that doesn’t happen everyday, though, is a role written for a man being switched to a female character. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, we get all kinds of excited. Even more so when the lady snagging the role is Oscar winner Sandra Bullock.

The guy actor who originally had her role? George Clooney. Clooney was set to star in (and produce) Our Brand Is Crisis, a fictional-remake of a 2005 documentary about the 2002 Bolivian presidential election. Clooney was going to play one of the American campaign strategists. But then, Bullock asked if she could have the role instead.

“About two and a half years ago I put out feelers saying, ‘I’m not reading anything I’m excited about. Are there any male roles out there that [the filmmakers] don’t mind switching to female?’” Bullock explained to Entertainment Weekly. Clooney was willing to step aside from the film, giving Bullock the starring role (maybe making up for the fact that he floats away and leaves her all alone in Gravity?).

Other times this has happened in the past? Remember Salt? Yeah, Angelina Jolie’s role was originally a Tom Cruise vehicle.

This time around we owe Clooney a big THANK YOU, because this is a perfect role for Bullock. While he’s no longer in the movie, Clooney stayed on as producer. The movie also stars Billy Bob Thornton as Bullock’s political rival, and Anthony Mackie as one of her colleagues. Best part, we won’t even have to wait too long to check this one out. Our Brand Is Crisis opens on October 30th.