Miss Congeniality, Fun Facts About the Sandra Bullock Film

As these Miss Congeniality fun facts will show, in the 2000 film, Sandra Bullock became an icon of female empowerment as tomboy-turned girly-girl FBI agent Gracie Hart, who must go undercover as a contestant in the miss United States Beauty Pageant after a threat is made. She also has the opportunity to be hysterical, as in the "Don’t mess with me" sequence.

A smashing box office success with a $212 million gross, Miss Congeniality resonated with moviegoers everywhere and earned Bullock a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.

Check out these behind-the-scenes moments and fun facts about Miss Congeniality that are sure to bring back the 2000s nostalgia.

Miss Congeniality is available for streaming on Tubi.

1. Bullock was against the pageant swimsuit scene

Although many beauty pageants have a swimsuit competition, Bullock was not into the idea. She explained in an interview that she “reluctantly” filmed the scene. “That was a huge bone of contention for me. I was trying to get it written out so many times and it’s in the script.”

2. Bullock and Benjamin Bratt did their own stunts

While most actors and actresses opt for stunt doubles to perform any potentially dangerous acts in films, Bullock and Bratt had another idea. The two stars filmed their own stunts, including their wrestling scene. In fact, Bullock explained that she was more comfortable doing the combat scenes than she was filming the pageant scenes. The director, Donald Petrie, recalled, “They got more than a few bruises and sore muscles from shooting that wrestling match.”

3. It took a long time to get Bullock pageant ready

Getting stars ready to appear on camera can take some tim, but because Bullock had two identities in the movie, there were two different processes for getting ready. “The before is a lot easier. It only took us 30 minutes on the first Gracie," she explained. "It took two and a half hours on the second Gracie… the second one was a labor of love.” Bullock added with a smile, “It’s not easy being a beauty queen.”

4. Bullock’s natural clumsiness was incorporated in the film

The actress has said in multiple interviews for Miss Congeniality that she is a bit clumsy and the filmmakers were happy to take advantage of that real life attribute. Scenes you may remember are when Gracie falls after her makeover reveal, as well as when she trips on her bed sheets, among others.

5. The movie wasn’t originally a comedy

While Miss Congeniality is known best for Bullock’s hilarious lines and laughable clumsiness, what fans may not know is that the original script was written as a drama. But when the writers took another pass and made revisions, they began adding more humor, the movie transforming into a comedy.

6. The movie was written based on this celebrity

Did you know that Miss Congeniality was inspired by Ellen DeGeneres? The talk show host revealed, “When I was getting ready to cohost the Emmys, the writer saw me [on TV] learning how to walk in a dress and heels. My stylist at the time —a man — was teaching me, and it was -hilarious. The Miss Congeniality writer saw it and thought it was brilliant.”

7. This Gilmore Girls actor was originally meant to be in the film

You probably know him best as Richard Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, but Ed Herrmann was meant to be a cast member. The actor was cast as Bullock’s father and there was a scene with him and Bullock, but it ended up not appearing in the final. It did, however, make it into the movie’s trailer.

8. This added characteristic wasn’t scripted

While Gracie becomes known for snorting while laughing in the film, that wasn’t written into the script. The director explained that he was once having dinner with the actress, and she snorted in reaction to something he said. It was his idea after that moment to add it to Bullock’s character.

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