Nicole Kidman a ‘Positive Influence’ on Sandra Bullock at ‘Delicate’ Time Following Partner’s Death

Nicole Kidman is known as a no-nonsense character who’s big on tough love, and she’s taken Sandra Bullock under her wing in recent months as the fellow Oscar winner continues to heal and rebuild her life following the tragic death of partner Bryan Randall. 

As the duo prepare to reunite on screen next year in Practical Magic 2, a source who has worked closely with both stars reveals exclusively for Closer how badly Sandra has needed the comfort of her old friend. 

“Sandy is slowly steering back in the direction of producing her own movies, and The Lost City two years ago was a big step toward that, but Practical Magic 2 was spearheaded by Nicole, because Nicole really wanted back in business with Sandy,” the source spills.

The Proposal star, 60, lost her longtime partner, Bryan, in August 2023 after a three-year battle with ALS. 

A second source previously opened up to Closer about the struggles Sandra had faced after her photographer beau’s death. “Sandra has learned that love, commitment and family are what matters most in the world,” the friend, who is close to the actress said. “What she had with Bryan was very precious. She’s grateful to have had it as long as she did, but she misses it dearly.”

As Bryan became increasingly debilitated by the affliction, Sandra had been focusing less on her career in Hollywood more on her home life, especially her two children: Louis, 15, and Laila, 11. 

“She wants to be there when they wake up, when they come home from school. She wants to help them with their homework, cook for them, watch movies together, do the typical family things,” the friend added.

As the actress processed her grief and began “having more good days than bad,” the first source says she’s now looking to reconnect with her friends in the industry, which made the Practical Magic sequel the ideal project.

“This opportunity came up at a time when Sandy really needed a friend to step up and get in her corner,” the source says. The first Practical Magic, which came out in 1998, starred Sandra and Nicole, 57, as two witch sisters battling a curse.

“I love that movie,” Nicole said of her collaboration with the Gravity actress at the 2018 Academy Awards. “I showed that movie to my kids. It’s a little above their [level of understanding] … But we’re really good sisters.”

The source adds that, “the beautiful thing about these two is that there’s no competition between them whatsoever, just a lot of mutual respect.” 

“That comes in handy when you’re developing a big-budget sequel together, and it extends to downtime, too. Nicole is very focused on delivering a Beetlejuice Beetlejuice-style experience for Practical Magic 2 and she and Sandy have united on the decision to bring a lot of younger characters into the cast.” 

“That says a lot about how secure both of them are, and how much of a positive influence Nicole is on Sandy during this delicate time.”