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Although Sandra Bullock has been in several iconic movies over the years, ranging from Speed to The Proposal, none have been as impactful as Bird Box. The film broke several records for Netflix and became one of the most-watched films on the platform when it was released.
A still of Sandra Bullock from Bird Box | Credit: NetflixThere were several reasons for this, ranging from its excellent premise to its impressive cast. The addition of Machine Gun Kelly was certainly surprising; it was the presence of Sarah Paulson, John Malkovich, and Lil Rel Howery that had audiences turning heads.
However, it would seem that there was one specific actor who Bullock needed to be in the film. In fact, she ended up threatening to leave if he was not cast in the role.
Sandra Bullock fell in love with her love interest in Bird Box
Trevante Rhodes plays the role of Tom in Bird Box, and he certainly does an excellent job at it. The character is interesting in many ways and acts as the perfect support for Sandra Bullock’s Malorie, turning into the ideal man for everyone in the audience.
Trevante Rhodes in a still from Bird Box | Credit: NetflixHowever, his magic didn’t only work on the viewers but the cast as well. During an interview with GlobalGrind, Bullock revealed her initial reaction to reading the film’s script and Rhodes’ character. The actress pointed out that Tom’s character was written through the female gaze during a time when such a non-threatening and gentle character was needed.
You write this human being and in the time of the big MeToo thing, you get to experience a glorious man that I go, ‘That’s the man I want. That’s the father that I would want my children to have,’ I wanted more of a love story, Susanne wanted more of a love story. I missed love stories, you know? So she says, ‘I want you to meet Trevante,’ and I’m like, ‘OK.’
The effect was so severe that the actress felt the need to point out that he would be the ideal partner for anyone. With this in mind, it would seem that Bullock wanted these traits of the character to be showcased in the actor who was playing him.
A still from Bird Box | Credit: NetflixHence began the search for the perfect actor, and the director of the film, Susanne Bier, asked Bullock if she was interested in meeting Rhodes.
Sandra Bullock would not make Bird Box without Trevante Rhodes
Trevante Rhodes had recently starred in Moonlight, and the film had won an Oscar. With this, his name was floating around quite a lot during the casting of Bird Box, which caused Bier to look to him for the role. It would seem that both the director of the film and Sandra Bullock had heard of the actor and were even big fans of him.
We were all in Moonlight heaven at that time and we sat down…I remember where he sat, I remember how he looked, and it’s how he looked right now. You want your leading man to be the leading man that you want to just ride off into the sunset with. You also want that leading man to be someone you trust with your children.
Trevante Rhodes and Bullock in a still from Bird Box | Credit: NetflixWith this, they decided to meet him for the role of Tom. Bullock was completely moved by Rhodes’ presence, and she very quickly went from considering him for the role to deciding that she would not do the movie if he was not in it.
I walked away and I said, ‘If we don’t cast him, if we don’t make this deal, I’m just gonna…’ I was very dramatic. But to me, I said this is the story I want to tell and I want this human being to be my ride or die in the process.
Although she joked that she was being somewhat dramatic at the time, the actress desperately wanted to make the film with him and have him by her side through the process. Unsurprisingly, Rhodes gave an excellent performance in the film.
Bird Box is available for streaming on Netflix.
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