Even at 50 years old, Sandra Bullock is still very much one of Hollywood's sweethearts. People Magazine has hailed her as the "World's Most Beautiful Woman for 2015."
Despite the high praise, Bullock, who has just finished lending her voice to the character of Scarlet Overkill in the upcoming Minions movie, remains as humble as ever.
In an interview for the magazine, Bullock said that she just laughed when she first heard of the recognition.
"No, really. I just said, 'That's ridiculous,'" she recounted. "I've told no one."
Bullock explained that her true beauty is in her new role as mom to her five-year-old son Louis. She said that their life together is what reminds her of the things that really matter.
"Real beauty is quiet. Especially in this town, it's just so hard not to say, 'Oh, I need to look like that,'" she said.
"No, be a good person, be a good mom, do a good job with the lunch, let someone cut in front of you who looks like they're in a bigger hurry. The people I find most beautiful are the ones who aren't trying."
While the Oscar-winning actress may not be as active in making films this year as before, People chose Bullock for the recognition because of her dedication to her motherhood, according to the magazine's senior writer Julie Jordan.
Accolades, such as People's "Most Beautiful," have been criticized over the years for not representing the true ideals of beauty.
Some people who have observed the film industry claim that recognitions, such as "most beautiful" or "sexiest man/woman alive," have little to do with being attractive, but rather with what publicists in Hollywood are planning to do for a celebrity's career.
Hollywood insider Elaine Lui of Lainey Gossip said that for celebrities to be given these designations, they have to cooperate with the whole selection process. She said that this is the reason why Ryan Gosling is yet to be named the "Sexiest Man Alive" because he keeps turning down the recognition.
Bullock's win makes her the oldest actress to receive the award for "most beautiful," which critics say places her in a "territory" where careers begin to slow down and fade away. This is the point when actresses are given roles "for sexless, cranky old-lady types or sexless mother figures."
Writer and comedienne Tina Fey wrote an essay about the subject for The New Yorker in 2011, which was also included in her book Bossypants.
"I know older men in comedy who can barely feed and clean themselves, and they still work," Fey wrote. "The women, though, they're all 'crazy.'"
"I have a suspicion—and hear me out, because this is a rough one—that the definition of 'crazy' in show business is a woman who keeps talking even after no one wants to f---- her anymore."
Regardless of the debate on the true nature of such a recognition, Bullock being named the "World's Most Beautiful Woman" for this year is viewed as a way for her to take the next logical step in her career.
Even if she does decide to remain at the top of Hollywood, or if she chooses to focus more on her role as mother to Louis, Bullock's point of view in life makes it seem like she is not too worried about her future.
Catch Sandra Bullock in her upcoming films Minions, opening in theaters on July 10, and Our Brand is Crisis scheduled for 2016.
Here is a list of celebrities who received the recognition for "World's Most Beautiful Woman" in previous:
