Sandra Bullock’s Holiday Surprise for the ‘Bird Box’ Cast and Crew
By Brandi Fowler
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Just call her Santa Claus!
Sandra Bullock surprised the cast and crew of “Bird Box” with a holiday celebration while they were filming the hit thriller at the end of 2017.
“I’m in shock by how organized Sandy is,” co-star Danielle Macdonald tells Variety. “Because we were filming it towards Christmas a year ago, she had like this little set up in the house of all the different traditions for different religions, and everyone could put their own tradition in. She had gifts for all of us. I was like ‘How are you this prepared?’”
“And then she had her kids, and they were all taken care of,” she continued. “I was like, ‘You woke up this morning and took your kids to school and now you’re at work all day, and you’re the lead of this movie, you’re in every frame!’ I don’t know how she did it, because I can barely handle just the work part. She’s like an alien, in the best way.”
Bullock’s gift to Macdonald? Incense.
Sweet smell of success, indeed!
Variety caught up with Macdonald (who can also be seen in Netflix’s “Dumplin” opposite Jennifer Aniston) on Friday night at the Australian Academy’s eighth annual AACTA International Awards at the Mondrian Skybar in Los Angeles.
During the pre-show cocktail hour, attendees and stars mixed and mingled with glasses of champagne by the pool, with Olivia Colman chatting up Glenn Close, and Rami Malek snapping photos with Nicole Kidman.
Kidman, who won her her second AACTA International Award for best supporting actress for “Boy Erased,” thanked her director and co-star Joel Edgerton for asking her to be in the movie, about a college freshman (Lucas Hedges) sent to gay conversion therapy by his deeply religious parents (Kidman and Russell Crowe). “[Joel] called me up and he said, ‘Nicole, I know we’ve never worked together, but I’ve got something for you.’ That’s always great when somebody says that and it’s actually true.”
“I want to thank him for giving me the chance to play Martha, and to bring this story to the world, and to Focus Films for actually giving us the money to make the film, because it’s a really hard film to get financed and it’s a hard film to get out there,” she continued. “Please go see it. I know people say, ‘Oh it’s going to leave me wrecked and destroyed,’ but actually it won’t, it will give you hope.”
Earlier in the evening, Kidman, who wore a black and white dress with a ruffled collar, said one of her favorite parts about awards season is “getting dressed up.” As for whether her daughters, get ready with her, she said, “They’re sometimes interested and sometimes not, it depends on what toys they’re playing with and what play dates they have over.”
Meanwhile, Colman took home best lead actress for “The Favourite,” which also won best screenplay. “To be in that group of women is amazing,” she said. “I was punching above my weight with two very beautiful women [Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz],” she said, adding with a laugh, “This is really lovely. It’s a very nice start to the weekend. We should all go and get drunk now.”
As Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” played in the background, Malek strolled on stage to accept the award for best lead actor for “Bohemian Rhapsody.” “That’s great music, I love that song,” he quipped. “I think it has potential.”
“I’m humbled to be receiving this award…to be counted among that group of actors is mind blowing,” Malek said. “I got the incredible privilege to play a man I have the utmost respect for, Freddie Mercury…I could wax on him forever. He’s an immigrant, I’m the son of immigrants. This means everything to me.”
Hannah Gadsby also got personal as she was presented with best performance in a television comedy for her comedy special “Nanette.” “To say this would be a dream would be a lie,” she said. “Hopes and dreams were squeezed and beaten out of me at a young age. So, it’s an honor, and I’m very grateful to be recognized. But the real reward for me and someone like me is to be seen and heard. It’s wonderful and disorienting.”
See the complete list of nominees and winners below:
Best Film
“ A Star Is Born ”
“BlacKkKlansman”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“Roma” (WINNER)
“ Vice ”
Best Direction
Bradley Cooper – “A Star Is Born”
Spike Lee – “BlacKkKlansman”
Yorgos Lanthimos – “The Favourite”
Alfonso Cuarón – “Roma” (WINNER)
Warwick Thornton – “Sweet Country”
Best Screenplay
John Krasinski, Scott Beck, Bryan Woods – “A Quiet Place”
Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee – “BlacKkKlansman”
Anthony McCarten – “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Tony McNamara, Deborah Davis – “The Favourite” (WINNER)
Alfonso Cuarón – “Roma”
Best Lead Actress
Glenn Close – “The Wife”
Olivia Colman – “The Favourite” (WINNER)
Toni Collette – “Hereditary”
Lady Gaga – “A Star Is Born”
– “Destroyer”
Best Lead Actor
Christian Bale – “Vice”
Bradley Cooper – “A Star is Born”
Hugh Jackman – “The Front Runner”
Rami Malek – “Bohemian Rhapsody” (WINNER)
Viggo Mortensen – “Green Book”
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams – “Vice”
Emily Blunt – “A Quiet Place”
Claire Foy – “First Man”
Nicole Kidman – “Boy Erased” (WINNER)
Margot Robbie – “Mary Queen of Scots”
Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali –”Green Book” (WINNER)
Timothée Chalamet – “Beautiful Boy”
Joel Edgerton – “Boy Erased”
Sam Elliott – “A Star Is Born”
Sam Rockwell – “Vice”
