Sandra Bullock is no stranger to high-stakes bus chases, but in her latest film, Our Brand Is Crisis, the chase scene takes a turn for the nude. Bullock’s character, “Calamity†Jane Bodine, moons their rival’s bus as they hurtle through the Bolivian countryside. Back in September, during a panel at the Toronto Film Festival, she was asked about whether it was actually her butt onscreen. She demurred, and producer George Clooney stepped in to take the credit, prompting Bullock to joke, “The reason it worked better is that George is a lot less hairy down there. Baby bottom. Versus what I’ve got down there, which is a Chia Pet.â€
But on Wednesday, during a Q&A at a luncheon for the film hosted by the Peggy Siegal Company, the discussion came back to the question of Bullock’s butt. Moderator Willie Geist asked “for a friend†if Bullock had a double for that particular shot. “There was not a double for me, but I’m not saying whether that was my butt or not,†she said before seemingly baring the truth. “But boy, did these guys get an eyeful all day! Apparently, I have no problem taking my pants down on camera. I am so modest in real life, but I just whipped those pants off!†Hollywood sets being what they are, she was not alone during her pants-dropping takes. She recalled, “You’d be like, ‘Take it off, hang it out there!’ And then you realize we’re on a soundstage and there’s a whole bank of crew on the other side, and just my butt hanging …â€
But Bullock is a professional. She was not put off by her derrière’s large audience: “Whatever form it took outside that window, I couldn’t tell you. But it was for the craft and for the story and for my art.â€