Bullock downplays her Oscar chances

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Feb. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. actress Sandra Bullock said during an appearance at a film festival in California she does not expect to win a best actress Oscar award this year.

Speaking at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Bullock downplayed her chances of topping her fellow best actress Oscar nominees thanks to her role in the football drama "The Blind Side," People.com reported Saturday.

"I'm so not winning an Oscar," Bullock said Friday.

Bullock, whose role already earned her a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award this year, added she and her fellow best actress nominees are simply happy to have been nominated.

"Someone's going to win and the rest of us will be really happy for whoever won. We're just happy to be here. And we like the company we're in," she told People magazine.

Along with Bullock, the best actress Oscar nominees are Helen Mirren for "The Last Station," Carey Mulligan for "An Education," Meryl Streep for "Julie & Julia" and Gabourey Sidibe for "Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire."

The 82nd annual Academy Awards are scheduled to take place on March 7.