Hugh Jackman and Sandra Bullock are the dynamic duo I never knew I needed, and will likely never get (at least for now) because the actress is taking a break from acting. Personally, I think they would have been incredible together! The reason this duo is even a discussion right now though is because the X-Men actor recently revealed that he had auditioned for one of Bullock’s best films: Miss Congeniality.
In an interview with Variety, Jackman explained he had auditioned for the comedy, and he read through lines with Bullock. He said that he didn’t want to audition for the film, but his agent made him so they could negotiate for another movie. The actor also explained it had been his first audition with another actor, saying:
It was the first time I’d tested [with another actor]. I was impressed that she was in there. I didn’t expect her to be in there. I’m guessing eight people she tested with.
He then said he was blown away by the actress, saying he was “not even vaguely up to speed,” with Bullock, noting that he didn’t know the script as well as he should have. Even though he said his agent thought the role would be easy for him to snag, it ended up going to Benjamin Bratt. The Wolverine actor commented on the sting of losing the role, saying:
That’s humiliating, when your agent says, ‘I don’t want you to get this job, but just go get it.’ And then you don’t get it.
When this audition rolled around, Jackman was not nearly as well known as he is today. When he auditioned for Miss Congeniality he had just wrapped the first X-Men movie, so no one knew Wolverine, and therefore Jackman, yet. To this point, the actor said:
No one knew ‘X-Men’ yet. I was a nobody.
Jackman went on to work on romances with actresses like Meg Ryan, Ashley Judd and Nicole Kidman. Although, I’d really, really, really love to see him work with Bullock, and Miss Congeniality would have been the perfect opportunity. Like no tea, no shade toward Benjamin Bratt, but it would have been truly amazing to see Bullock and Jackman pair up in the iconic 2000s film.
Another reason why I would love to see Bullock and Jackman work together is because of their respective history with Ryan Reynolds. The Deadpool actor and Bullock starred in the rom-com The Proposal in 2009, and if Jackman would have starred in Miss Congeniality I think it would have made the faux feud between the Deadpool 3 co-stars even better. Not only would it have been a hilarious coincidence, but based on Bullock’s sense of humor I’m sure she would have had some sarcastic and funny input on the feud.
Based on Bullock’s hilarious chemistry with her rom-com scene partners like Bratt, Reynolds, and most recently Channing Tatum in The Lost City (which you can now stream), I’m sure she and Jackman would have made a stellar, and hysterical, duo.
While you can’t see Jackman and Bullock together (although I’m holding out hope), they have both been busy with various films on the 2022 movie schedule that are worth checking out. You can watch Bullock in The Lost City and Bullet Train, which came out earlier this year, and you can catch Jackman in the upcoming film The Son and on Broadway in The Music Man.