Oscar winner Sandra Bullock is set to make her long-awaited return to the big screen with the September release of Practical Magic 2, her first role since Bryan Randall's death. The 62-year-old actress has begun to open up about the heartbreaking few years as she agreed to appear on close friend Jason Bateman's Smartless podcast.
Three years after loss
Bullock, the star of Miss Congeniality and The Proposal, saw her life turned upside down when her partner was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) back in 2020. He died just three years later from the degenerative condition. Bullock subsequently vanished from public life as she guided herself through her grief.
Keeping herself out of view since Bryan's death, she has only stepped out to promote new film Practical Magic 2, the sequel to the 1998 cult classic film. Now, after appearing in her first role in four years, Bullock appears at ease and ready to move on with her life.
Opening up on grief
A source close to the star told MailOnline: "Sandra really closed herself off when Bryan got sick, she was all about him and her kids. Her personality changed too, the laughs stopped coming. She was a much more serious person."
"Sandra is finally doing better, which is why she made Practical Magic 2. She felt it was time to talk about Bryan, like it is okay now. She doesn't mind opening up about him, as she wants to honor him in the best way with sweet memories."
Bullock and Randall co-parented her son, Louis, and daughter, Laila, as well as his daughter from a previous relationship, Skylar Staten Randall.
Speaking on the podcast
Speaking on the podcast, she told hosts Jason, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes: "I wasn't allowed to speak about it. That was the request and I tried, I honoured it."
Bullock revealed she found the diagnosis "traumatic", sharing it was a "huge weight" to carry and left her isolated amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Heartbreakingly, she said she had been "grieving" Bryan before he died three years ago.
"My person left a lot earlier than the body left - I don't think I ever dealt with that until after he passed, because you're just on this treadmill," she continued. "You have to quietly plan. And I'm a very good planner with illness. It doesn't scare me - not the illness itself, it doesn't scare me. I can see and be around just about anything. But I had two young kids that were navigating it, especially a little girl who saw Bryan as a father figure."
ALS has received an increase in public attention in recent years following a number of high profile diagnoses and deaths.
