Sandra Bullock pauses acting career amid partner's ALS battle
The actress said she stopped working on a film after a reshoot while her partner Bryan Randall was ill with ALS, and she later withdrew from acting entirely.
Sandra Bullock said she decided to stop working on a film after a reshoot when her partner Bryan Randall was battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). On the "SmartLess" podcast she recalled arriving for a reshoot after only a few hours of sleep, looking exhausted, and telling the crew she could not continue and needed to go home. She added that the studio spent significant resources to digitally correct her appearance for the movie.
Bullock said the experience led her to step back from acting, stating she felt she had "nothing to give" at that time. Randall, who was 57, died on August 5, 2023, after a three-year private fight with ALS, according to his family.
Since Randall's death, Bullock has kept a low public profile, making occasional appearances such as being seen driving in Los Angeles with her son in late 2025 and attending a red-carpet event in April. She also discussed grieving Randall years before his passing and the challenges of explaining his illness to her children.
"I think where he was in his journey, both physically and mentally, I started grieving Bryan four years before he passed," Bullock said on the podcast.
"My person left a lot earlier than the body left. I don’t think I ever dealt with that until after he passed, because you’re just on this treadmill," she added.
ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.