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Sandra Bullock is opening up about her long-standing friendship with Jennifer Aniston and how, for years, Hollywood culture discouraged such bonds between women.
Both stars launched their careers in the late 1980s, but it was 1994 that marked their major breakthroughs, Bullock with her role opposite Keanu Reeves in the blockbuster Speed and Aniston as Rachel Green in NBC’s hit sitcom Friends.
Despite achieving fame around the same time, the two didn’t meet until about 15 years ago.
In a recent Vanity Fair cover story on Aniston, Bullock reflected on why their paths didn’t cross sooner.
“We were from that time in the business where no one wanted the ladies to be friends, it was about pitting everyone against each other,” she shared.
“We were told we weren’t supposed to do that, meaning like and respect and honour each other.”
Their friendship began unexpectedly when they ran into each other at a mutual friend’s wedding.
Bullock recalls the night vividly.
“We were just like, ‘Oh my God, we need to meet and cut loose.’ And we did.” From that point on, Aniston welcomed Bullock into her close-knit circle, which led to shared dinners, vacations, and holiday gatherings.
Beyond the glitz of Hollywood, the two have also bonded over more serious shared experiences, dealing with stalkers.
Bullock revealed she was home during a 2014 break-in, while Aniston faced her own scare earlier this year when a man crashed his car into her gate. These incidents, Bullock admitted, can make it difficult to feel safe.
“It makes me think, ‘Do I really have to go outside and navigate the world?’… It’s ongoing. It’s not a one-off. And it does create a mindset where your home also unfortunately becomes your fortress.”
Despite those fears, Bullock credits Aniston with helping her push past them.
“There’s a motivation of going, ‘Okay, we need to go somewhere. Where are we going?’” she said, describing how they encourage each other to step outside and embrace life.
