Does Ellen DeGeneres have a beef with Sandra Bullock? During a 2018 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the talk show host revealed that Bullock took her role in the movie Speed. Find out what she was talking about.
Ellen DeGeneres was supposed to star in ‘Speed’
Fans of the ‘90s action movie Speed love the chemistry between Bullock and Keanu Reeves. According to DeGeneres, however, she was supposed to have the lead role in the movie but Bullock landed it instead.
There had been rumors that, originally, DeGeneres was to play a funny sidekick in the movie but they changed the character and the role went to Bullock.
Bullock was asked about the movie during the interview, with DeGeneres telling her, “It was meant for me and you took the role.” She added, “It’s true.”
RELATED: Keanu Reeves Was a Reluctant Action Star: Why He Had to Be Convinced to Star in ‘Speed’
Bullock recalled having a crush on Keanu Reeves during filming
The two glossed over the mention that DeGeneres was originally going to play the role and Bullock launched into what she remembered about filming.
“I think about how sweet Keanu Reeves was and how handsome he was,” Bullock said. “It was hard. It was really hard for me to really be serious. He’d look at me and I’d [giggle].”
Surprisingly, the two never dated and Bullock had a theory why. “There was just something about me that I guess he didn’t like. I think it’s true … I think we’re probably friends for that long because we didn’t…”
Later in the show, Bullock played a game of “Burning Questions” with DeGeneres, where she was asked, “Which co-star was the most fun to kiss?” Bullock answered, “In honor of you, Keanu Reeves.”
DeGeneres shouted, “That could have been me!”
Bullock also named Reeves as her “first celebrity crush.”
Reeves also had a crush on his co-star, as DeGeneres shared Bullock’s interview with him on her show in 2019 and he admitted, “She obviously didn’t know I had a crush on her, either.”
As for why they didn’t get together, he explained, “We were working!,” but said being around Bullock was a pleasure. “It was nice to go to work. She’s such a wonderful person, such a wonderful actress,” Reeves shared.
Ellen DeGeneres showed Keanu Reeves what might have been
During the interview, DeGeneres told Reeves she might have been his Speed co-star, something he didn’t seem to have been aware of.
“Speed was originally written for me, did you know that? This is a true story. And Sandra Bullock will tell you,” DeGeneres explained.
She continued, “So the guy that wrote Speed wrote it with me in mind and then Sandy got the part but it would have been you and me and it would have been … it would have been phenomenal.”
If Reeves had a hard time picturing anyone but Bullock as his co-star, DeGeneres played him a clip of how things would have been very different if she was driving the bus. Naturally, there’s a comedic element, but the film would have had a very different ending too.