Oscar award-winning actress Sandra Bullock initially feared that she would be responsible for ruining Michael Oher’s ‘journey’ for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in ‘The Blind Side’
‘The Blind Side’ star Sandra Bullock has come under the spotlight after the film’s main plot was alleged to be based on a lie. Bullock originally didn’t want to take on the role of Leigh Anne Tuohy in the film for fear that it would destroy the film subject, Michael Oher’s life.
Bullock portrayed Leigh Anne Tuohy in the film, which showed Oher, a young African-American male from a background of poverty, taken in and adopted by the white and wealthy Tuohy family. She won an Oscar in the Best Actress category for her portrayal of Leigh Anne, which marked her first Academy Award win.
In 2010, the NY Times interviewed Bullock, who was shocked at the number of viewers and peers congratulating her for her performance in the role. But Bullock recalled the first week of shooting the movie as “the worst I ever had.”
By the end of filming, Bullock became a believer in her work. Ironically, she said, “I thought I was going to be responsible for destroying this man’s two-year journey to tell this story,” after describing how she had rejected the role for eight months before signing on. Academy Award winner Julia Roberts was originally offered Bullock’s role but turned it down.