Everyone told me to pass on Speed because it was a ’bus movie.’

Bullock is recalling early career advice that underestimated the commercial and cultural potential of a high-concept action film. The dismissive label “’bus movie’” reduces Speed to a seemingly thin premise, implying it would be a minor or gimmicky project. Her remark highlights how industry gatekeeping and conventional wisdom can misread audience appetite and the executional power of a strong script, direction, and star chemistry. Implicitly, it frames her decision to take the role as a calculated risk that paid off—an example of how actors can benefit from trusting their instincts over prevailing skepticism, especially when a project’s concept sounds simple but is built for momentum and suspense.