The ‘horrific’ moment Sandra Bullock decided to ‘pull the plug’ on acting during Bryan Randall’s ALS battle

Sandra Bullock revealed the moment she decided to “pull the plug” on acting as her partner, Bryan Randall, battled amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). “When Bryan got sick, after ‘Lost City,’ I was like, ‘I can’t.’ I thought I was going to have a little bit of a mental issue. I was like, ‘I can’t, I can’t, I can’t,’” the “Miss Congeniality” actress recently recalled on the “SmartLess” podcast. “I came for the reshoot on a couple of hours’ sleep and I remember walking in and everyone went, ‘What, what, did you not sleep?!’” she shared. “I looked so bad, and when I say so bad, like my face, it was horrific. I could maybe manage four hours of the reshoot and they were like, ‘Can you just give us [another take]?’ I was like, ‘I can’t, I can’t, I’ve got to go home.’ And I went home.” Sandra Bullock revealed the moment she decided to step away from acting, as her partner, Bryan Randall (seen above with the actress in 2018), battled ALS. GC Images The Oscar winner (seen above with Channing Tatum) said she went in for a reshoot for “The Lost City” and the production crew questioned whether or not she slept. ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection Bullock, 62, said the studio had to spend a lot of money to “fix” her face to match the rest of the film digitally. “It was a horror show,” she shared. It was at that moment that the “Blind Side” star decided to take a break from acting. “So I did that and then I just pulled the plug. I said I can’t anymore. I have nothing to give right now. Nothing. Zero,” she said. In August 2023, Randall’s family announced that he had “passed away peacefully” after a “private” three-year battle with ALS. He was 57. Bullock (seen above in “The Lost City”) said the studio had to spend a lot of money to “fix” her face to match the rest of the film digitally. ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection “I just pulled the plug. I said I can’t anymore. I have nothing to give right now. Nothing. Zero,” she recently said on the “SmartLess” podcast. (Pictured: Bullock at SXSW in 2022.) Getty Images for SXSW Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! “It is with great sadness that we share that on Aug. 5, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS,” his family shared. “Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request,” they added. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, per Mayo Clinic. Randall’s tragic death sparked a massive 500 percent spike in ALS donations. A source told People that Bullock had “seen the incredible outpouring of support toward ALS research since Bryan’s passing.” Randall (seen above) died in August 2023 after a private three-year battle with ALS. Instagram/gesinebp Bullock (seen above with Randall in 2018) stayed out of the spotlight after her partner’s death. GC Images She made her first red carpet appearance in four years in April. Variety via Getty Images The “Proposal” star has kept a low profile since Randall’s passing. In November 2025, she broke cover for the first time in almost a year when she was spotted driving in Los Angeles with her son, Louis. In April, Bullock attended her first red carpet in more than four years. Earlier this month, the Oscar winner broke her silence about Randall’s death, saying that he asked her not to share his diagnosis with the public. “I think where he was in his journey, both physically and mentally, I started grieving Bryan four years before he passed,” she said on the “SmartLess” podcast. “There was something that had shifted.” The “Bird Box” star said she had to have difficult conversations with her kids, Louis and Laila (both seen above with their mom in 2023), about Randall’s illness. JosiahW / BACKGRID Randall and Bullock (both seen above in 2018) met in January 2015 when he photographed the actress’ son’s birthday party. JosiahW / BACKGRID “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,” Bullock added. The “Bird Box” star, who is a mom to adopted kids Louis, 16, and Laila, 12, said she had to have difficult conversations with her children about Randall’s illness. Bullock and Randall met in January 2015 when he photographed the actress’ son’s birthday party. In October of that year, they made their red carpet debut at the premiere of Bullock’s film “Our Brand Is Crisis.” Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. 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