Sandra Bullock and Halle Berry’s Cheerleading Starts

Both are Oscar-winning actresses in their mid-40s. Both have gone through bad breakups. And both are stunningly beautiful. But Sandra Bullock and Halle Berry have something else in common that may be a surprise: The two started off as cheerleaders. And we've got the pictures to prove it.

(Click here for more photos of celebs with cheerleading pasts.)

Before the A-listers were screen divas, the two rocked the pom poms, and in Halle's case, the splits. Photographs unearthed from these actors' pasts show they certainly had talent -- even in their teens.

Another odd coincidence: Both have won Academy Awards, as well as Razzies for worst performances (Berry for "Catwoman" and Bullock for "All About Steve"). Again, the two showed their cheerful sides, appearing in person to collect their infamous "worst actress" raspberry-shaped awards.

Sandra Bullock

Bullock won an Oscar for her role as an inspirational figure on the sidelines of the high school football field in "The Blind Side." In real life, she cheered for her high school team at Washington Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, back in 1982.

The funny gal got noticed with spirited parts in movies like "Speed" and "Miss Congeniality," but received her Oscar in a dramatic role.

These days, the 47-year-old seems to be featured more in the tabloids than in movies, currently for her close friendship with sexy "Proposal" co-star Ryan Reynolds.

Bullock also surfaces in photos with her 19-month-old son, Louis Bardo, whom she is raising alone after splitting from her husband Jesse James in 2010. Bullock will be back on the big screen soon with the upcoming movies "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" and "Gravity."

Halle Berry

Halle Berry seems to defy gravity in her high school cheerleading pic. Even back in 1980, the peppy teen wowed people at her Heskett Junior High School in Bedford, Ohio, with the splits.

The Oscar winner has shown athleticism in many roles, from her turn as a Bond babe in "Die Another Day" to playing the mutant Storm in "X-Men." The Leo recently set the Web on fire with her beach bikini pics at her 45th birthday party.

The actress divorced actor Eric Benet, then got involved with French-Canadian model Gabriel Aubry. The pair split in 2010. The two have a daughter, Nahla Ariela Aubrywith. The actress is currently seeing hunky actor Olivier Martinez.

The three-year-old, who has been the subject of a bitter custody dispute, will be accompanying her mom to Glasgow, Scotland for the filming of "Cloud Atlas," co-starring Natalie Portman and Tom Hanks. Watch for the star's upcoming flicks, "Dark Turn" and "New Year's Eve."

Watch the trailer for "New Year's Eve" with Halle Berry:

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