Over the course of just one year, SANDRA BULLOCK (Agnes Von Kurowsky)
established herself as one of America's most popular and acclaimed leading
actresses. Although she had previously co-starred opposite Sylvester Stallone
and Wesley Snipes in the futuristic thriller Demolition Man and with Robert
Duvall, Richard Harris and Shirley MacLaine in Wrestling Ernest Hemingway,
the film that really put Bullock on the map was her role opposite Keanu
Reeves in the 1994 summer box-office smash Speed. She followed with starring
roles in the romantic comedy hit While You Were Sleeping and as a computer
expert in the thriller The Net.
Her performance in While You Were Sleeping brought Bullock a Golden Globe
Award nomination for Best Actress (Comedy or Musical). She most recently
co-starred with Matthew McConaughey and Samuel Jackson in A Time to Kill,
from the John Grisham best-seller.
Under her newly-formed Fortis Films banner, Bullock is becoming involved
in both directing and producing various projects. The first of these is
Making Sandwiches, a short film which she wrote, directed and starred in
opposite her Time to Kill co-star, Matthew McConaughey.
Bullock's other feature film credits include Two If By Sea, The Vanishing,
The Thing Called Love and Love Potion #9.
Born the daughter of a German opera singer mother and an Alabama-born father,
Bullock spent much of her youth in Germany, developing a keen appreciation
for the arts. While her mother sang in operas across Europe, Bullock often
found herself in the children's chorus of the productions. She also began
a serious study of piano, and although she became an accomplished musician,
Bullock knew early on that her destiny lay elsewhere.
The family moved to Washington, D.C., when Bullock was a teenager. There
she developed an interest in acting, but it was not until she enrolled in
East Carolina University in North Carolina that she decided to make it a
career. A move to New York put her ambitions in gear. Cattle-call auditions,
training in acting and parts in student films helped pave the way for her
imminent superstardom.
Bullock's first short film, Making Sandwiches, will make its world premiere
this February at the Sundance Film Festival. Bullock wrote, directed, and
will also be starring in the project along with Matthew McConaughey.
CHRIS O'DONNELL (Ernest Hemingway) first came to prominence with
his starring role opposite Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman. A critical and
box-office success, the film earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best
Supporting Actor and the Chicago Film Critics Award as Most Promising Actor
of the Year.
O'Donnell went on to star in the swashbuckling classic, The Three Musketeers,
for which he picked up the New York Theater's Bookers' Award and the Hollywood
Women's Press Club's Golden Apple, and was named NATO ShoWest's Male Star
of Tomorrow for 1994.
The following year saw him living up to that tribute, with films ranging
from the romantic comedy, Circle of Friends, to the worldwide box-office
phenomenon, Batman Forever. Most recently, O'Donnell starred opposite Gene
Hackman in the John Grisham thriller, The Chamber, and he is currently shooting
the highly anticipated sequel, Batman & Robin.
O'Donnell made his feature film debut in Jessica Lange's rebellious teenage
son in Men Don't Leave, and followed with a memorable cameo in Fried Green
Tomatoes. His other credits include Blue Sky, School Ties and Mad Love.
MACKENZIE ASTIN (Henry Villard) was thrilled to be cast as the wartime
friend of Ernest Hemingway and rival for the affections of Agnes von Kurowsky.
A former child actor, Astin was raised in Los Angeles and made his acting
debut at age eight in the television film, Lois Gibbs and the Love Canal.
After a successful childhood career, Astin concentrated on his education,
seriously considering a career in journalism. He was accepted to Johns
Hopkins College but decided to stay in Los Angeles and concentrate on his
acting career.
His other film credits include Evening Star, the sequel to Terms of Endearment
starring Shirley MacLaine, Dream for an Insomniac (Fall 1997), a cameo role
in Wyatt Earp opposite Kevin Costner, Widow's Kiss and a starring role in
Iron Will for Disney.
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