Susan Sarandon: The Life Story Behind Hollywood's Fearless Star
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Susan Sarandon is an actress who has never been afraid to be herself, on screen or off it. She has played a wide range of women, from a shy young woman in a horror musical to a tough outlaw on the run, from a baseball fan in love to a nun who walks with a man on death row. She has done it with a warmth, a humour, and a fearlessness that have made her one of the most respected actresses in America. She has won an Academy Award, she has been nominated five times, and she has worked for more than fifty years, never losing her love of acting or her willingness to speak her mind.
Her own life is a story of a girl from a large Catholic family in New York who became a star, a mother, and an activist. She was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, in 1946, the eldest of nine children, and she grew up in a home where faith, family, and hard work were central. She went to university, she married young, she became an actress almost by accident, and she built a career that has lasted for decades. She has been married, she has had long relationships, she has raised three children, and she has spoken out for causes she believes in, even when it cost her work.
What makes her story worth telling is the fearlessness in it. She has never played it safe, either in her choice of roles or in her choice of causes. She has played women who are sexual, who are angry, who are funny, and who are brave, and she has done it without apologising. She has also spoken out against war, for human rights, and for the rights of women, and she has done it knowing that Hollywood does not always reward outspoken women. This is the story of a woman who has lived her life on her own terms, and who has inspired millions of people to do the same.
The Eldest of Nine in Jackson Heights
Susan Abigail Tomalin, known as Susan Sarandon, was born on 4 October 1946 in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City. She was the eldest of nine children born to Phillip Tomalin, a television producer, and Lenora Tomalin, a homemaker. Growing up as the eldest in a large family meant that Susan learned early how to look after others, how to share, and how to find her own voice in a crowded home. Her family was Catholic, and faith was an important part of her childhood, shaping her sense of right and wrong and her compassion for others.
Jackson Heights in the 1950s was a diverse and lively neighbourhood in Queens, full of families from many different backgrounds. Susan went to school there, and she did well, but she was not a child who dreamed of becoming a movie star. She was a bright and curious girl who liked to read, to think, and to ask questions. She was also a girl who liked to perform, and she took part in school plays and in church programmes. She had a clear voice, a warm smile, and a way of making people listen when she spoke. Her family noticed her talent, but they did not push her toward acting. They wanted her to get a good education and to make a good life for herself.
She went to the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where she studied drama and where she met Chris Sarandon, a fellow student who would become her first husband. College gave her a chance to think about what she wanted to do with her life, and acting kept pulling her back. She was not yet sure that she could make a living from it, but she knew that the stage was where she felt most alive. She graduated from university, and she moved to New York with Chris, where they both tried to make a living as actors. It was a hard life, with little money and many auditions, but Susan was determined to try.
The years as the eldest of nine shaped her in a lasting way. She learned to be responsible, to care for others, and to stand up for herself. She also learned that a large family can be both a joy and a burden, and that love is what holds it together. When she later played mothers, wives, and strong women on screen, she brought that experience to her roles. She knew what it meant to be the eldest, to be the one who looked after others, and to be the one who had to be strong when others were not. That knowledge made her performances feel true, and it is one of the reasons audiences trust her.
An Accidental Actress in New York
Susan Sarandon became an actress almost by accident. She had gone to an audition with her husband Chris, to support him, and the casting director noticed her and asked her to read for a role. She was cast in the film Joe in 1970, playing a young woman who becomes involved with a hippie and who is killed in a violent climax. It was a small role, but it was a start, and it gave her a credit that opened doors in Hollywood. She was 24 years old, and she had become an actress without planning to be one. It was a lucky break, but it was also a sign of her talent, because casting directors saw something in her that made them want to work with her.
She continued to work in films and on television in the early 1970s, appearing in small roles and learning her craft. She was in the film The Front Page in 1974, and in other films that gave her experience in front of a camera. She was not yet famous, and she was not yet making a living from acting alone, but she was learning, and she was building a reputation as a talented and reliable performer. She lived simply in New York, she saved her money, and she focused on her work. She was not looking for fame. She was looking for roles that would let her act, learn, and grow.
Her marriage to Chris Sarandon lasted from 1967 to 1979, and the couple divorced after twelve years. Susan kept the name Sarandon, which she had taken when she married, and she used it for the rest of her career. She did not have children during that marriage, and she focused on her work. She was a young actress in New York, and she was trying to build a career in a business that was often unfair to women. She did not let that stop her. She kept auditioning, she kept working, and she kept believing that her time would come.
The years in New York taught her patience and discipline. She learned to rehearse, to listen to other actors, and to trust her instincts. She also learned that acting was a job, not a dream that would happen by itself. She took the work seriously, and she kept going even when progress was slow. She was a thoughtful actress, and she brought her study of drama and her experience as the eldest of nine to her work, thinking about the motivations of her characters and about the meaning of their stories. That depth made her different from other young actresses, and it is one of the reasons directors wanted to work with her.
Rocky Horror and a Cult Star
Susan Sarandon’s first major success came in 1975, when she starred in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a musical horror comedy that became one of the most famous cult films in history. She played Janet Weiss, a shy young woman who, with her fiancé Brad, stumbles into a strange castle where a scientist named Dr. Frank-N-Furter is conducting experiments. The film was weird, funny, and shocking, and it was unlike anything that had been seen on screen before. Sarandon played Janet with a mix of innocence and courage, and she sang, danced, and acted with a charm that made audiences love her.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show was not a success when it was first released, but it became a cult hit when it began to be shown at midnight screenings in theatres across America. Audiences dressed up as the characters, shouted lines at the screen, and sang along with the songs. Sarandon became a cult star, and she was recognised by fans who loved the film. She was 29 years old, and she had become famous in a way she had never expected. She was grateful for the film, and she was proud of it, even though it was very different from the serious dramas she would later make.
The film also showed that Sarandon was not afraid to take risks. She played a woman who was sexual, who was curious, and who was not afraid to explore a strange new world. That fearlessness became a hallmark of her career, and it is one of the reasons she has been able to play such a wide range of roles. She did not want to be a safe and pretty actress. She wanted to be an actress who took chances, who played complex women, and who told stories that mattered. Rocky Horror was the first sign of that fearlessness, and it set the tone for the rest of her career.
She continued to work in films after Rocky Horror, appearing in dramas and comedies that showed her range. She was in The Great Waldo Pepper in 1975, and in other films that gave her a chance to play different kinds of women. She was building a career slowly, one role at a time, and she was learning how to act for a camera. She was a natural actress, and she did not need to overact to be believed. She was a woman who could be funny, serious, and sexy, often in the same scene, and that versatility made her a sought-after actress in Hollywood.
Atlantic City, Bull Durham, and Stardom
In 1980, Susan Sarandon starred in Atlantic City, a film directed by Louis Malle, playing Sally Matthews, a young woman who works in a casino and who dreams of a better life. The film was a critical success, and Sarandon was nominated for her first Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance. She played Sally with a vulnerability and a strength that made audiences care about her, even when she made mistakes. The nomination was a sign that she was no longer a cult star. She was a serious actress, and Hollywood was beginning to recognise her talent.
She continued to work in the 1980s, appearing in films such as The Hunger in 1983, where she played a doctor who becomes involved with a vampire, and The Witches of Eastwick in 1987, where she played one of three women who are seduced by the devil, played by Jack Nicholson. She was a versatile actress, and she could play a doctor, a witch, a mother, and a lover with the same skill. She was also a mother herself by then, having had a daughter, Eva Amurri, in 1985, with the Italian director Franco Amurri. Motherhood changed her life, and it gave her acting a new depth, because she now knew what it meant to love a child.
In 1988, she starred in Bull Durham, a romantic comedy about baseball, playing Annie Savoy, a woman who loves baseball and who chooses a young player each season to mentor. The film was a success, and Sarandon was praised for her performance as a smart, funny, and sexual woman who was not afraid to be herself. She met Tim Robbins on the set of Bull Durham, and the two began a relationship that would last for more than twenty years. Robbins played Nuke LaLoosh, a young pitcher, and Sarandon played the woman who teaches him about baseball and about life. The film is still loved today, and Sarandon’s performance is one of the reasons why.
Bull Durham made Sarandon a star, and it gave her a new kind of fame, not as a cult actress, but as a leading lady who could carry a film. She was 42 years old, and she was at the height of her powers as an actress. She was beautiful, she was talented, and she was fearless, and audiences loved her for it. She continued to work in the late 1980s and early 1990s, appearing in films that showed her range and her willingness to take risks. She was a woman who had come a long way from Jackson Heights, and she was proud of the journey.
Thelma and Louise and a Cultural Moment
In 1991, Susan Sarandon starred in Thelma and Louise, playing Louise Sawyer, a waitress who goes on a road trip with her friend Thelma, played by Geena Davis, and who becomes an outlaw after Louise kills a man who tries to rape Thelma. The film was a cultural event, a story about two women who take control of their lives, who refuse to be victims, and who drive off a cliff rather than give up their freedom. Sarandon played Louise as a tough, smart, and loyal woman who had seen a great deal of life and who was not afraid to fight for her friend. The film was a huge success, and Sarandon was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.
Thelma and Louise became a feminist classic, a film that spoke to women who felt trapped, who felt unheard, and who wanted to be free. Sarandon and Davis became icons, and their performances are still talked about today. The film’s final scene, where Thelma and Louise drive their car off a cliff into the Grand Canyon, holding hands, became one of the most famous images in film history. It was a shocking and beautiful ending, and it showed that the two women would rather die free than live as prisoners. Sarandon played that scene with a calm and a courage that made it unforgettable.
The film also gave Sarandon a new kind of fame, as a feminist hero and as a woman who was not afraid to speak out. She became a voice for women’s rights, and she spoke about the film in interviews with pride. She said that Thelma and Louise was not only a film about two women on the run. It was a film about friendship, about loyalty, and about the right of women to control their own lives. That message resonated with audiences around the world, and it made the film a classic that is still watched and discussed today.
She continued to work in the 1990s, appearing in films such as Lorenzo’s Oil in 1992, where she played a mother fighting for her son’s life, and The Client in 1994, where she played a lawyer defending a young boy. She was nominated for Academy Awards for both films, and she was praised for her performances as a mother and as a lawyer who fought for justice. She was a serious actress, and she was at the top of her craft. She was also a mother of three children by then, having had two sons, Jack and Miles, with Tim Robbins, in addition to her daughter Eva. Motherhood and acting were both central to her life, and she balanced them with grace.
Dead Man Walking and an Oscar
In 1995, Susan Sarandon starred in Dead Man Walking, directed by Tim Robbins, playing Sister Helen Prejean, a nun who becomes the spiritual adviser to a man on death row, played by Sean Penn. The film was based on the true story of Sister Helen, who had worked with death row inmates in Louisiana and who had written a book about her experience. Sarandon played Helen with a quiet strength, a compassion, and a moral clarity that made audiences believe in her. She was not a perfect nun. She was a woman who struggled with doubt, with anger, and with the pain of watching a man die, and she played that struggle with honesty.
The film was a critical success, and Sarandon won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance. It was her fifth nomination, and her first win, and it was a moment of triumph for a woman who had worked for more than twenty-five years in Hollywood. She accepted the award with grace, and she thanked Tim Robbins, her partner and the director, and her children, who had supported her throughout her career. The win was not only a personal triumph. It was a triumph for every actress who had been told that she was too old, too outspoken, or too difficult to be a star. Sarandon was 49 years old when she won, and she proved that age is not a barrier to talent.
Dead Man Walking also gave Sarandon a chance to speak about the death penalty, a cause she cares deeply about. She has spoken out against capital punishment for many years, and she believes that it is wrong, that it does not deter crime, and that it is applied unfairly to poor people and to people of colour. She used her Oscar win to draw attention to the issue, and she has continued to speak about it in interviews and at events. She is not a woman who wins an award and then goes home. She uses her fame to try to make the world a better place, and that is one of the most admirable parts of her story.
She continued to work after Dead Man Walking, appearing in films such as Stepmom in 1998, where she played a mother dying of cancer, and in other films that showed her range as an actress. She was in her fifties, and she was still working, still learning, and still making films that interested her. She did not slow down, and she did not retire. She loved acting, and she was determined to keep doing it for as long as she could. Her Oscar win did not change her. It gave her more opportunities, but it did not change who she was.
Activism, Family, and Later Work
Susan Sarandon has been an activist for many years, speaking out against war, for human rights, and for the rights of women and children. She opposed the war in Iraq, she has spoken for Palestinian rights, she has worked for AIDS awareness, and she has supported many other causes. She has been arrested at protests, she has spoken at rallies, and she has used her fame to draw attention to issues that she believes matter. She has done this knowing that Hollywood does not always reward outspoken women, and that her activism might cost her work. She has not changed her mind, and she has not stopped speaking out.
She was in a relationship with Tim Robbins from 1988 to 2009, and they had two sons, Jack and Miles, together. The relationship ended in 2009, after more than twenty years, and Sarandon spoke about it with sadness but also with respect for Robbins, who remained a close friend and co-parent. She is also the mother of Eva Amurri, her daughter with Franco Amurri, who has become an actress herself. Sarandon is a devoted mother and grandmother, and she speaks about her children with love and pride. Family is central to her life, and she has tried to balance her work as an actress with her work as a mother.
In her later years, she has continued to act in films and on television, appearing in shows such as Feud in 2017, where she played Bette Davis, and in films such as The Meddler in 2015, where she played a widow who moves to Los Angeles to be close to her daughter. She was in her seventies, and she was still working, still taking on new challenges, and still showing that age is not a barrier to talent. She is a reminder that a long career is possible, if you work hard, stay curious, and keep learning. She has done all of those things, and she continues to do them today.
She lives in New York, and she spends time with her family, her friends, and her causes. She is a woman who has lived a full life, and who is still living it with purpose. She is an actress, a mother, a grandmother, and an activist, and she is proud of all of those roles. Her story is not finished, because she is still alive and still working. She continues to act, to speak out, and to be a mother and a grandmother, and she continues to inspire people around the world with her fearlessness and her compassion.
My Take:
When I think about Susan Sarandon, I think first about the word fearless, and I think about the way she has lived her life without apologising for who she is. She has played women who are sexual, who are angry, who are funny, and who are brave, and she has done it without asking for permission. She has also spoken out for causes she believes in, even when it cost her work, and she has done it without backing down. I admire that fearlessness, because it is rare in Hollywood, and it is rare in life. Many people learn to be quiet, to be safe, and to avoid controversy. Sarandon did the opposite. She spoke, she acted, and she lived on her own terms, and that takes a courage that I deeply respect.
I also think about Thelma and Louise, and about the way that film became a cultural moment for women around the world. I try to imagine what it felt like to watch that film in 1991, as a woman who felt trapped, who felt unheard, and who wanted to be free. Louise was a waitress who took control of her life, who fought for her friend, and who drove off a cliff rather than give up her freedom. That image is powerful, and it is shocking, and it is beautiful. Sarandon played Louise with a toughness and a loyalty that made audiences believe in her, even when she was breaking the law. I think that performance is one of the best in film history, because it shows a woman who is not perfect, but who is brave, and who loves her friend more than she loves her own life. That is a story that still moves people today.
What moves me most is her performance in Dead Man Walking, because she played a nun who walks with a man on death row, and she did it with a quiet strength that is hard to watch and hard to forget. Sister Helen Prejean was a real person, a woman who had worked with death row inmates and who had written a book about her experience. Sarandon played her with compassion, with doubt, and with a moral clarity that made audiences think about the death penalty in a new way. I think about the scene where she holds Sean Penn’s hand as he dies, and I feel the weight of that moment. It is a scene about forgiveness, about love, and about the dignity of every human life, even a life that has done terrible things. Sarandon played it beautifully, and she won an Oscar for it, and she deserved it.
I feel sad when I think about the way Hollywood has treated outspoken women like Sarandon, because she has been called difficult, she has been criticised for her activism, and she has lost work because she spoke her mind. I think that is unfair, because a man who speaks his mind is called principled, and a woman who does the same is called difficult. Sarandon has faced that double standard for fifty years, and she has not let it stop her. She has kept speaking, she has kept acting, and she has kept being herself. That persistence is admirable, and it makes me respect her even more. I wish the industry had treated her better, and I wish it had given her more leading roles in her later years, but I am grateful that she did not change who she was to please Hollywood.
I also think about her as the eldest of nine children, and about the way that experience shaped her. She learned to look after others, to share, and to find her own voice in a crowded home. That experience made her a natural leader, a woman who could take charge on a film set, in a family, and in a protest. It also made her a compassionate person, because she knew what it meant to care for others, even when it was hard. When she played mothers on screen, she brought that experience to her roles, and audiences felt it. She was not playing a mother. She was a mother, and she knew what that meant. That knowledge made her performances feel true, and it is one of the reasons she is so loved.
If I have a criticism, it is not of Sarandon. It is of a world that makes women choose between being liked and being honest, and that punishes women who choose honesty. Sarandon chose honesty, and she paid a price for it, in lost roles and in criticism. I think that price was unfair, and I think the world is poorer for it, because we lost the chance to see her in films she could have made great. She did not complain about this, and she found other ways to work, in independent films, on television, and in activism, but I still wish she had been given more opportunities. She deserved them, and audiences deserved to see them.
What I learn from her story is that fearlessness is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to act in spite of it. Sarandon was afraid, she has said so in interviews, but she acted anyway. She took risks in her choice of roles, she spoke out for causes she believed in, and she lived her life on her own terms. I learn that a woman can be sexual, funny, angry, and compassionate, all at the same time, and that she does not have to choose one of those things. I learn that motherhood and a career are not opposites, and that a woman can be both a devoted mother and a great actress. I hope that young women today will look at Sarandon and see that they do not have to be safe, or quiet, or perfect. They can be fearless, and they can be themselves.
I also think about Rocky Horror, and about the way that film became a cult classic, a film that audiences still watch at midnight screenings, dressed as the characters, singing along with the songs. Sarandon was 29 when she made it, and she had no idea that it would become a phenomenon. She played Janet with innocence and courage, and she made the film feel fun and exciting. That performance is a reminder that a small film can become a big part of popular culture, and that an actress who takes a risk can create something that lasts for decades. I love that about Rocky Horror, and I love that Sarandon is proud of it, even though it was very different from the serious dramas she would later make.
I think about her relationship with Tim Robbins, and about the twenty years they spent together, raising two sons and making films together. They made Bull Durham, they made Dead Man Walking, and they built a life that was both creative and personal. When the relationship ended in 2009, Sarandon spoke about it with sadness but also with respect, and she said that Robbins remained a close friend and co-parent. That maturity is admirable, because it shows that a relationship can end without becoming a bitter fight. She handled it with grace, and she put her children first. That is a lesson for anyone who has been through a break-up, and it is one that I will remember.
Finally, I think about her activism, and about the way she has used her fame to speak for people who have no voice. She has opposed war, she has spoken for human rights, and she has been arrested at protests. She has done this knowing that it might cost her work, and she has not stopped. That is a form of courage that is rare, and it is one that I deeply admire. I think about the young people who see her at a protest, and who are inspired to speak out themselves. That inspiration is a gift, and it is one that Sarandon has given to the world for fifty years. She is not only an actress. She is a citizen, a mother, and a voice for justice, and that is a legacy that will live on long after her films are forgotten.
I also think about her daughter Eva, and about the way Sarandon passed her love of acting to the next generation. Eva became an actress, and she has spoken about her mother with love and respect. That passing of a craft from mother to daughter is a beautiful thing, and it shows that Sarandon did not only build a career. She built a family tradition, a love of storytelling that will live on after her. I think about the grandchildren who watch their grandmother on screen, and about the pride they must feel. That pride is a gift, and it is one that Sarandon gave to her family through her work. She did not only make America laugh and think. She made her own family proud, and that is a success that no award can measure.
I will remember Susan Sarandon as Louise, as Sister Helen, as Annie Savoy, and as Janet, four very different women, all played with the same fearlessness and the same heart. I will remember her as a mother, as an activist, and as a woman who lived her life on her own terms. She is a star who never played it safe, and who never apologised for who she was. That is a life well lived, and it is a life that deserves to be remembered with respect, with love, and with gratitude for the films, the lessons, and the courage she gave to us all.
I think about the way Sarandon has aged in public, and I find it quietly radical, because she has not tried to hide her age, and she has not apologised for being a woman in her seventies who is still sexual, still funny, and still outspoken. Hollywood often tells older women to disappear, to play grandmothers, or to stop being seen. Sarandon has refused that script. She continues to act, to speak, and to be herself, and she does it with a confidence that is inspiring. I think about the young women who see her and who realise that their lives do not end at fifty, and I am grateful for that example. She shows that a woman can keep growing, keep learning, and keep being herself at any age.
I also think about her work in Feud, where she played Bette Davis, another outspoken actress who was called difficult for speaking her mind. That casting was perfect, because Sarandon understood Davis from the inside, as a woman who had been punished for being strong. She played Davis with a depth that came from her own experience, and audiences felt it. I think that role was a tribute to all the women in Hollywood who have been called difficult for telling the truth, and it was a reminder that those women are often the most interesting, the most talented, and the most brave. Sarandon honoured Davis, and in doing so, she honoured herself and every woman who has refused to be quiet.
Finally, I think about the future, and about how Sarandon will be remembered. I hope she will be remembered not only as an actress, but as a woman who lived fearlessly, who loved her children, and who spoke for justice even when it was hard. She is a star, a mother, a grandmother, and a citizen, and she has used all of those roles with courage and love to make the world a little better. That is a legacy that will live on, in her films, in her activism, and in the people she inspired. I will remember her with love, with respect, and with deep gratitude for the courage, the honesty, and the fearless spirit she showed us all.
She remains, for me, a shining example of a life lived boldly and well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who did Susan Sarandon play in Thelma and Louise?
Susan Sarandon played Louise Sawyer, a waitress who goes on a road trip with her friend Thelma, played by Geena Davis, in Thelma and Louise in 1991. Louise kills a man who tries to rape Thelma, and the two women become outlaws, driving across America until they drive off a cliff rather than give up their freedom. Sarandon was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.
What film did Susan Sarandon win an Oscar for?
Susan Sarandon won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Dead Man Walking in 1995, where she played Sister Helen Prejean, a nun who becomes the spiritual adviser to a man on death row, played by Sean Penn. It was her fifth Oscar nomination and her first win, and she was 49 years old when she won. The film was directed by her partner Tim Robbins.
What was Susan Sarandon’s first major film?
Susan Sarandon’s first major film was The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1975, where she played Janet Weiss, a shy young woman who stumbles into a strange castle with her fiancé Brad. The film became a cult hit at midnight screenings, and Sarandon became a cult star. She was 29 years old when she made the film, and it showed her fearlessness as an actress.
How many children does Susan Sarandon have?
Susan Sarandon has three children: a daughter, Eva Amurri, born in 1985 with the Italian director Franco Amurri, and two sons, Jack and Miles Robbins, born with her long-term partner Tim Robbins, whom she was with from 1988 to 2009. She is a devoted mother and grandmother, and she speaks about her children with love and pride.
Why is Susan Sarandon known as an activist?
Susan Sarandon is known as an activist because she has spoken out against war, for human rights, and for the rights of women and children for many years, including opposing the war in Iraq and speaking for Palestinian rights and against the death penalty. She has been arrested at protests, spoken at rallies, and used her fame to draw attention to causes she believes in, even when it cost her work in Hollywood.
When was Susan Sarandon born?
Susan Sarandon was born Susan Abigail Tomalin on 4 October 1946 in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, and she was the eldest of nine children. She studied drama at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where she met her first husband Chris Sarandon. She became an actress almost by accident when she went to an audition with Chris and was cast in the film Joe in 1970.
