Sandra Bullock calls turning 60 'pretty awesome'

Sandra Bullock has described turning 60 as "pretty great".

On Monday, the Hollywood actress sent a video message to Today with Hoda and Jenna to celebrate her friend Hoda Kotb's birthday. The broadcast journalist turned 60 on 9 August.

To begin, Sandra insisted everything has been fine since she reached the milestone age herself in July.

"I had so many brilliant and funny things prepared for you for this message that were just going to slay, but you know girl, I'm just too tired," she said jokingly. "I'm tired because I had to make my way up that mountain before you got there so I could check out the terrain and see what things look like, and just get the feel so I can fill you in. And it's weird because people seem to want us to be afraid of what it might look like when we get there. Turns out it's pretty damn great. It's pretty awesome."

Sandra went on to thank Hoda for "being so incredible to so many people".

"What you do for a living and how you have to shape-shift every single day, how you navigate your kindness, even when that's not what's coming your way," the Miss Congeniality star continued. "How you are to those you care about and how you keep them safe, and just who you are as a human being. We're all pretty lucky to have you, especially your kids."

To conclude, Sandra offered birthday wishes to Hoda.

"Happy birthday, my sweet friend. Thank you for allowing me to be in your circle," she added. "I feel very grateful. And I have your bar set up, up here, so we can look at the view. It's pretty beautiful, but I need you up here. Happy birthday."

After watching the video, Hoda became emotional and noted that it was Sandra who inspired her to consider adoption. The Bird Box actress began the process of adopting her children Louis and Laila when she was in her late forties, while the TV presenter is mother to Haley, seven, and four-year-old Hope.

"The reason that I have Haley and Hope is because when I was looking for inspiration of somebody who was a mom at my age, Sandra Bullock popped up and I called her and I said, 'Tell me about motherhood,'" she recalled. "And she said, 'It is the best decision I ever made.' And from that moment forward, she led the way to these two girls."

The video message marks one of Sandra's first public appearances since the death of her long-time partner Bryan Randall in August 2023.