Changing the way people view beauty pageants. 2000 hit movie Miss Congeniality follows FBI agent Gracie (Sandra Bullock) as she goes undercover at a beauty pageant to prove herself at work to her male colleagues (played by Benjamin Bratt and Ernie Hudson).
Having been a girl all her life, pageant director Cathy Morningside (Candice Bergen), attracts the expert Viktor Meling (Michael Caine) to prepare Gracie for competition through a rather intense makeover process. Throughout the film, the cop forms unexpected friendships, romances and is shocked when she manages to uncover the life-threatening events taking place at the pageant.
in 2000 Ellen DeGeneres revealed in an interview that the rom-com was actually based on her.
“When I was getting ready to host the Emmys, the writer saw me (on TV) learning how to walk in a dress and heels,” she shared with Parade magazine at the time. “My stylist at the time – a man – taught me and it was fun. The Miss Congeniality the writer saw it and thought it was brilliant.
Although based on the TV presenter, Bullock also closely related to Grace, later admitting that doing the fight scenes – and she did many of her own stunts – was easier than the pageant scenes. Besides, she said Entertainment tonight that she tried to cut the scene in a swimsuit.
“It was a huge bone of contention for me. I tried to write it so many times,” the Speed shared the actress. “It’s in the script. We already shot it – outside in San Antonio.
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