In Hollywood, saying no can also cost you an opportunity. Sandra Bullock decided to do it anyway.
The actress recalled her early years in New York during a conversation with Jennifer Aniston for Interview Magazine. At the time, she worked as a waitress while going from audition to audition, trying to make her way.
It was there that, as she recounted, she encountered people who asked her to do things she was unwilling to accept, including pulling down her pants during an audition. Her response was simple: “No, this role isn’t for me”.
Bullock also acknowledged that in those years there was enormous pressure to accept any opportunity, because many actors feel that they may never work again.
Over time, that ability to set boundaries ended up becoming part of how she built her career and the decisions she made about the projects she did want to take on.
In an industry where you are so often expected to say yes in order to move forward, she made it clear from the beginning that there were things she would not negotiate.