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Sandra Bullock: Making space movie 'Gravity' an 'unnatural experience'

In summary, "Gravity" can be described as "Sandra Bullock and George Clooney stranded in space." Yet it's much more than that, thanks to director Alfonso Cuarón's vision, which immerses audiences deeply in the space walkers' peril. But for star Bullock, the experience of making the movie — for which she was filmed in narrow lightboxes, against green screens and even in a tank of water, often al
Sandra Bullock
TODAY

In summary, "Gravity" can be described as "Sandra Bullock and George Clooney stranded in space." Yet it's much more than that, thanks to director Alfonso Cuarón's vision, which immerses audiences deeply in the space walkers' peril. But for star Bullock, the experience of making the movie — for which she was filmed in narrow lightboxes, against green screens and even in a tank of water, often all by herself — was an "unnatural experience."

As she told TODAY's Matt Lauer Tuesday, "it was actually the perfect setup for feeling lonely, feeling lost, feeling frustrated" and eventually, she gave into those feelings and used them in her performance. "Once you started using it, instead of fighting it all the time, it made it what it was," she said.

There was also a lot of heavy breathing, as her character began to lose oxygen, and Lauer noted he felt like he was in a Lamaze class while in the theater.

"I did give birth twice (during the movie)," Bullock joshed.

She also talked about enshrining her hands and feet in cement in front of the famous TCL Chinese Theater (formerly Grauman's Chinese Theater) on Sept. 25, and what a "thrill" it was to have her son Louis on hand for the hands-in-cement ceremony. "You try not to make a lot out of it, but having him (there) ... he's made everything sweet," she said.

She even gave him a chance to make his own hand and feet imprints the way she did, but back at home after the ceremony. "Later on when he hates me and I'm an embarrassment, I'll say 'Come here, let me show you what we did when you were younger and how much you liked me at that time,'" she chuckled.

"Gravity" opens in theaters on Oct. 4.