Though Heather Burns‘ character in 2000’s Miss Congeniality has a little bit of trouble coming up with her idea of a perfect date (“April 25th … not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket”), the actress has a quick answer when it comes to whether or not she’d want to revisit the Sandra Bullock-led comedy film.
In a new interview with People, Burns — who plays the unforgettable, kind-hearted and wide-eyed Cheryl/Miss “Rhode Island” in the action-comedy — said she “would jump at” the chance to do a threequel, following the 2005 Miss Congeniality: Armed and Fabulous.
“Oh God, I would love it. That was one of the best experiences of my life,” she began. “It was so much fun making both of those films.”
The Two Weeks Notice and You’ve Got Mail actress added that she’s stayed in contact with her costars from the aughts film, including Melissa De Sousa (who played Miss “New York” and accompanied her to the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of her upcoming film The Best You Can), as well as lead Bullock.
“I made lifelong friends working with Sandra Bullock,” Burns said. “It’s just a dream. So yes, a third [movie], I would jump at it. It would be so much fun.”
Also starring Benjamin Bratt, William Shatner, Michael Cane and Candice Bergen, the Warner Bros. pic follows no-nonsense and antisocial FBI agent Gracie Hart (Bullock, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for the role), who is forced to go undercover as a beauty pageant contestant to foil a bomb plot targeting the Miss United States competition. A makeover film very much of the era and fish-out-of-water narrative, the whip-smart and campy flick was a box office hit despite receiving lukewarm reviews from critics. Its followup made less of a financial and critical splash.
Speaking to the film’s endurance for the past 25 years, Bratt attributed its place in pop culture nostalgia to Bullock’s performance and leadership as a producer on set: “It really endures because of Sandy and what she did with it,” he told Good Morning America last month. “Of course the writing is hilarious and the directing is brilliant, but Sandy is not afraid to make a fool of herself, to be silly and we all recognize the foibles that her character goes through in ourselves. It’s fun to relate to someone like that.”
