These Miss Congeniality Secrets Are Gorgeous and You Want to Kiss Them

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Winners wear a crown, losers wear a frown, and sometimes Miss New Jersey carries a gun.

The popular comedy Miss Congeniality, starring Sandra Bullock, celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. The film’s fun premise revolves around a strong, beautiful FBI agent who goes undercover in a beauty pageant – a truly unexpected transformation for an actress who’s anything but ordinary!

Sandra Bullock stars as Gracie Hart, a quirky and impulsive FBI agent who’s demoted to office work after a failed mission. When the FBI learns about a potential bombing at the Miss United States pageant, Gracie comes up with a plan: go undercover as a contestant to investigate and uncover the threat.

It is not her idea, however, to do the job herself.

During a 2000 interview with Entertainment Tonight on set, Sandra Bullock explained that her character, Sandy, was hilariously clumsy, even struggling to walk down stairs. She saw this as a key part of the role – Sandy’s awkwardness and lack of polish was the central conflict. Bullock emphasized the film wasn’t really about a beauty pageant, but about whether they could transform this ‘Clydesdale’ of a character into someone who could blend into the background as a believable contestant.

Gracie’s still a bit rough around the edges as she gets closer to catching the bad guys, but her natural charm shines through. This surprises her FBI partner, Eric Matthews (Benjamin Bratt), and pleases her pageant coach, Victor Melling (Michael Caine), and by the end of the movie, Eric definitely has a crush on her.

Gracie connects with Heather Burns, who plays Miss Rhode Island Cheryl Frasier, and realizes that being friendly and kind can be surprisingly helpful. She discovers she has valuable qualities beyond just being a skilled fighter.

An actress of many talents, Bullock made it work and taught a generation how to S.I.N.G.

We won’t be performing with water glasses today, but we’re excited to share some fun facts about the movie Miss Congeniality!

1. A New Director to the Rescue

Donald Petrie took over as director very late in the process, only seven weeks before filming began. Sandra Bullock and Michael Caine were already set to star, and that was enough to convince him to accept the job. “I don’t really know why the previous director left,” Petrie explained to TopMob News. “But Sandra Bullock was the biggest draw for me.”

2. When in Doubt, Pitch Lethal Weapon Starring Sandra Bullock

The previous director envisioned the film as a comedy that parodied beauty pageants. However, Donald pitched a different idea to studio executives at Castle Rock and to Sandra Bullock: an action comedy similar to Lethal Weapon, with Sandra playing a strong, capable lead character like Mel Gibson. Donald believed the humor would come from treating the pageant world with complete sincerity, stating, “If you take a pageant absolutely seriously, that’s funny. If you try to make fun of something that’s already a joke, it falls flat.”

3. Ellen DeGeneres Was the Original Miss Congeniality? 

In a 2014 interview with Parade magazine, Ellen DeGeneres revealed that the movie Miss Congeniality was inspired by her. The film’s writer reportedly saw footage of Ellen rehearsing in heels and a dress while preparing to host the Emmys, and Ellen joked that the movie was ‘based on me’ at the time.

Is there any validity to that claim? The director stated he’s a big Ellen fan, but claimed he didn’t know about this background, jokingly suggesting, “That’s something you’d have to ask Sandy.”

4. There’s Something About Benjamin Bratt

After his hit movie There’s Something About Mary in 1998, Matt Dillon was a strong contender for the role of Eric Matthews, Gracie’s love interest. However, the part eventually went to Benjamin Bratt, who already had a good working relationship with Sandra Bullock, having appeared with her in the 1993 film Demolition Man.

Donald recalled that both he and Sandra had been very impressed with Matt, but the actor playing the ‘Wild Things’ character wanted a more prominent part. The director explained it was a challenge finding someone who could convincingly play an FBI agent, but also be comfortable playing a supporting role to Sandra, as many well-known actors typically prefer to be the lead.

5. Hair Today, Blonde Tomorrow 

Heather Burns was cast as Miss Rhode Island, a key character who becomes a close friend and advisor to Gracie. During auditions, she had brown hair, but the director asked her to dye it blonde so she wouldn’t look too similar to Sandra Bullock on screen. As the director explained, he wanted to make sure no one resembled Sandy during filming.

6. Sandra’s Bra Gag Pays Off 

The director fondly recalls a scene where Sandra playfully hides donuts in her bra while Michael Caine and Benjamin Bratt are having a conversation. Viewers don’t realize she’s doing it until Gracie is caught stealing the donuts a short time later. “She’s right there, in the background, stuffing those donuts in her bra while Caine and Bratt argue,” the director explained, “and nobody ever notices it.”

7. And the Award for Most Likely to Become a Real Housewife Goes To …

LeeAnne Locken had a very small part as Miss Nebraska, and didn’t appear on screen much. Donald was surprised to find out she later became a cast member on The Real Housewives of Dallas. He admitted he didn’t remember much about knowing her, saying, “I didn’t know that!”

8. 50 Is a Big Number

Donald acknowledged they didn’t use enough actresses to represent all 50 states, only around 40. He jokingly asked, “Who would even notice if there weren’t enough women on stage in a wide shot?”

9. A Gilmore Girls Star Ended Up on the Cutting Room Floor

Early test audiences saw a scene where Gracie was late to her father’s wedding. The father was played by Edward Herrmann, who many people remember as Richard Gilmore from Gilmore Girls. The director, Donald, described Herrmann as a close friend, but the scene ultimately didn’t make it into the final cut of the film. He remembered it being a very funny moment, and it was even used in the trailer, despite being removed from the movie because the film was too long.

10. Craft Service Wasn’t Much Fun

Just weeks before filming began, Donald spoke with each of the pageant contestants, including Sandra, about what to expect from the movie’s storyline. He explained to TopMob News that he told them, “In about three weeks, we start filming, and while I won’t be appearing in a swimsuit, you might be.” He said they all reacted with a bit of surprise. As a result, the on-set snack table focused on healthy options instead of typical treats.

11. Sandra Has a New Fallback Career?

During the film’s makeover scene, you’ll hear Los Lobos’ rendition of “Mustang Sally,” and surprisingly, Sandra Bullock actually played the tambourine on the track! According to Donald, the recording session was very collaborative – everyone grabbed an instrument, and he himself played the shaker. He emphasized that Sandra was actively involved in all aspects of the movie’s creation.

12. If You’re Fighting With Sandra, Be Sure to Wear a Cup

During filming, there was an accidental injury when Sandra hit Donald in a sensitive area while practicing a wrestling scene with Eric. Donald explained that Sandra and Eric were rolling around, and she unintentionally struck him. He jokingly recalled her hitting him “right in the cojones,” which forced them to pause the scene.

13. Sandra Did All of Her Own Stunts

The director playfully mentioned that Sandra and Benjamin are still jokingly upset with him for making them perform their own stunts. He shared that Benjamin has been teasing him about having ongoing back pain, and both actors ended up with bruises and sore muscles after filming the wrestling scene.

14. The Opening Scene Wasn’t in the Script

Screenwriter Marc Lawrence had spent years developing the project, going through many different versions of the script. He casually mentioned to the director that an earlier draft began with the scene that ultimately opened the film: a young Gracie defeating a bully, and then continuing to beat the victim. The director immediately recognized this as a powerful opening and decided it needed to be included in the final shooting script.

15. The Snort Was Rooted in Reality

Gracie developed a habit of snorting when she laughed, something that wasn’t planned. Donald remembered being at dinner with her when he told a joke and she snorted in response, prompting him to tell her to keep doing it – he loved it!

16. How Do You Make Sandra Bullock Look Like She’s Not a Beauty Queen?

One of the biggest challenges in making the film believable was finding a way to downplay Sandra Bullock’s natural beauty in the first part of the story. They accomplished this through her acting, along with subtle adjustments to her makeup, hair, and lighting. One person involved joked that it took less time to make her look less attractive than it did to make her look glamorous, but others disagreed, saying she’s naturally beautiful and needed very little effort to appear stunning.

17. Sandra Wanted Food in Her Teeth

I always loved the scene early on with Michael Caine – it’s such a great moment! He takes Gracie out for steak, and it’s hilarious because he can’t help but comment on how she’s eating. He basically tells her, in the most charming British way, that she’s making a mess of a perfectly good steak – something about a ‘half-masticated cow rolling around’ in her mouth! It’s a funny, slightly shocking bit of honesty that really sets the tone.

Donald recalled the actress requesting a piece of steak be deliberately lodged between her teeth so she could suck on it. He remembered staff using dental floss – normally used for cleaning teeth – to actually insert the steak between them.

As a huge fan, I have to say one of the best parts of the trailer was when Gracie playfully sings to Eric, ‘You think I’m gorgeous, you want to date me!’ I was so excited to learn that wasn’t even in the script! Apparently, Sandra just went for it and ad-libbed that whole thing, which Donald confirmed. It really shows her natural talent and adds so much fun to the scene.

19. Sandra’s Kiss That Wasn’t Meant to Be

During the playful scene where Gracie sings “You want to kiss me,” the plan was for the characters to actually kiss. The director filmed both a kissing version and another where Eric pretends to kiss her but instead bites into a candy bar. Ultimately, the candy bar version was chosen for the final cut. According to Donald, he felt a kiss would have come across as too soon in the movie.

20. The Classic “Perfect Date” Line Has Special Significance

Each April 25th, the internet lights up with memes referencing a funny line from the movie where Miss Rhode Island misunderstands what a “perfect date” means – she thinks it’s a day of the month, not a romantic evening. Interestingly, the line was originally written by screenwriter Marc Lawrence, but Donald tweaked it to make the date match his wife’s birthday.

The director explained he had joked, ‘Is it April 25th? That’s my wife’s birthday.’ He added that he enjoys seeing the memes that circulate online every year on her birthday.

21. Getting the Last Laugh

Donald explained that he purposely adds extra footage to initial versions of his films. This allows him to see how audiences react and make changes before the final cut. Because of this, he doesn’t invite critics to these early screenings. He recalled one instance where film blogger Harry Knowles managed to attend a test screening and wrote a particularly harsh review, even claiming Donald had damaged Sandy Bullock’s career.

Despite some initial negative reactions, the studio didn’t seem worried, and the film ultimately became a major success, earning $212 million worldwide on a $45 million budget. Donald jokingly said he was just happy the movie did well – becoming a beloved comedy and making a lot of money – so he could playfully dismiss the harsh review and have the last laugh.

22. The 20-Year Difference

Donald noted that some parts of the movie, like colleagues making disrespectful comments about Gracie and objectifying her, likely wouldn’t be included if it were made now. He believes certain scenes would definitely need updating. He explained that the film was made 20 years ago, before the #MeToo movement and significant shifts in how people view workplace equality. While much of the movie could remain the same, some elements would need to be changed to reflect current social attitudes.

Oh my gosh, there was this moment in the movie, near the end, where one of the characters came out and talked about her girlfriend! It was just…everything. Apparently, the director, Donald, always wants his films to mean something, to have a bigger point, and he said this scene totally did that. He was so grateful to the writer, Marc Lawrence, and Sandy, for even including it in the script. I mean, it was perfect, honestly. I’ve rewatched that part like a million times!

23. A Different Director Helmed the Sequel

Donald didn’t direct the 2005 sequel to Miss Congeniality, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, and it wasn’t as popular as the first movie. He explained that he generally doesn’t see much benefit in directing sequels. He made a similar choice with the film Grumpy Old Men, directing the original 1993 hit but skipping the 1995 follow-up, Grumpier Old Men.

Donald said he doubted a remake of Miss Congeniality would work, explaining it wouldn’t feel right without Sandra Bullock.

24. The Movie Gets Chandler’s Stamp of Approval

Donald believed his film gained significant recognition when Matthew Perry’s character, Chandler, expressed his fondness for it on the TV show Friends in 2003. The director explained, “I knew we’d become a part of pop culture because Friends referenced it in an episode.”

25. The Rom-Com Market Isn’t What It Was in 2000

Donald pointed out that making romantic comedies is much harder now than it used to be, and getting them shown in movie theaters is even more difficult. He explained that for several years, before Netflix started investing in the genre, romantic comedies had largely disappeared, similar to what happened with Westerns. Essentially, no one was producing them.

Even though romantic comedies are seeing a slight comeback, he doesn’t believe they’ll be major box office draws again anytime soon. Donald explained that streaming services were already a challenge, but the pandemic has made them even more dominant.

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2025-12-14 18:18