SANDRA MARKS A MILESTONE

As actress Sandra Bullock approaches her 60th birthday, we celebrate the beloved star who has shown enormous strength in times of deep sorrow

- EVE MACDONALD

If anyone can rise from the ashes and reinvent themselves, it’s Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock. Just like the characters in her charming romcoms, the 59-year-old has had a share of great loves but also immense heartbreak.

Sandra has been linked to many heartthrobs over the years, including Matthew McConaughey, Tate Donovan and Ryan Gosling, yet it was her most recent romance that was one for the ages.

As the Hollywood star gets set to celebrate her 60th birthday on 26 July, someone special will be missing from the celebration – and that’s her longtime partner, Bryan Randall. “I found the love of my life,” she has previously said. “My family looks nothing like I ever imagined it would. It’s better than I ever imagined.”

Sadly, in August 2023, Bryan – who Sandra started dating in 2015 after he photographed her son Louis’ birthday party – passed away at 57, following a private three-year battle with ALS (the most common form of motor neurone disease). Now, with Sandra’s birthday falling just 10 days before the first anniversary of his death, it’s likely to be an emotional and bittersweet day.

One thing’s for sure, however, Sandra – who took a step back from acting in 2022 as Bryan became increasingly ill – is looking to the future and focusing on her kids, Louis, 14, and Laila, 11. “I just want to be 24/7 with my babies and my family. That’s where I’m gonna be for a while,” the Golden Globe-winning actress said.

Sandra, who has won fans with iconic roles in the likes of Gravity, The Proposal and Bird Box, actually began the process of adopting her first child with her ex-husband Jesse James back in 2006.