MANILA, Philippines ? Only three years ago, may Hollywood observers had given up on Sandra Bullock?s sluggish stellar career and its comeback prospects. She appeared to be going from one predictable and phlegmatic rom-com to another?which was such a waste, because the once-popular star still had some good performances left in her.

Happily, Bullock shared show biz observers? concern, and decided to do something about it. First, she stopped accepting many of the slick and shallow projects that came her way. Second, she humbled herself by auditioning for the small but good roles out there, which usually went to other, younger and ?better? actresses.

Challenging roles

Bullock then worked hard to prove that she was good enough a thespian to do full justice to those challenging roles. Soon, the fruits of her campaign for better roles began to pay off: Last year, ?The Proposal? became her first hit in years, and even ended up as one of the most popular movies of the season.

There were some embarrassing glitches and flops, however. For instance, ?All About Steve? was a certified clunker that rubbed viewers the wrong way. Still, Bullock ended 2009 on a high note with the popular and critical hit, ?The Blind Side.?

Bullock acted ?against type? in the inspiring drama, and she was rewarded with her first Golden Globe trophy?and an Oscar nomination. She faces stiff competition at the Academy Awards, but she could still end up victorious, because she?s impressed her peers with her resolve to rise above her failures and reinvent herself.

Quite uniquely, Bullock has also scored a coup of sorts by ending 2009 by winning two ?contradictory? awards: At the Golden Globes, ?The Blind Side? won for her a Best Actress award, while she also ?won? a Worst Actress Razzies nomination for the dismal ?All About Steve!? That feat is one for the show biz books, and only adds to the roller-coaster unpredictability of her career.

The good news however, is that she?s ended the show biz season right side up, and is now ready to improve her thespic standards further by challenging herself with even more difficult roles in movies directed by the best megmen in Hollywood.

Online poll

Other veteran stars who?ve reenergized their careers include George Clooney, whose ?Up in the Air? is up for a slew of Oscar nominations. Like Bullock, Clooney has also tasted the bitter dregs of failure?his 1997 starrer, ?Batman and Robin,? has been named in an online poll as ?the most disastrous movie ever made!?

Of course, Clooney has bounced back since then, and is now regarded as one of Hollywood?s leading lights, not just as a star, but also as a director.

Other ?worst? films are ?Battlefield Earth? with John Travolta. ?Heaven?s Gate.? ?The Love Guru? with Mike Myers. ?Raise the Titanic,? ?The Happening? with Mark Wahlberg, and ?Sex Life of the Potato Man!?

To be fair, those clunkers? stars have also since bounced back, so the ?redeemed? likes of Bullock and Clooney are in very good company, indeed. That?s a consoling thought for other veteran stars, who are still struggling to find their places again in the show biz spotlight.