Susan Sarandon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susan Sarandon
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Sarandon in 2017
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| Born |
Susan Abigail Tomalin
October 4, 1946 New York City, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Catholic University of America (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1970–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Chris Sarandon
(m. 1967; div. 1979) |
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| Children | 3, including Eva and Miles |
| Awards | Full list |
Susan Abigail Sarandon (born October 4, 1946) is a famous American actor. She has been acting for over 50 years. During her long career, she has won many important awards. These include an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award. She has also been nominated for many other awards, like the Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards.
Sarandon started her acting journey in the film Joe (1970). She also appeared in TV soap operas like A World Apart and Search for Tomorrow. She became very well-known after starring in the musical horror film The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). Susan Sarandon was nominated for an Oscar several times. She was nominated for her roles in Atlantic City (1980), Thelma & Louise (1991), Lorenzo's Oil (1992), and The Client (1994). She finally won the Academy Award for Best Actress for playing Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking (1995). Some of her other popular movies include Pretty Baby (1978), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Bull Durham (1988), Little Women (1994), and Stepmom (1998). She also appeared in Enchanted (2007), The Lovely Bones (2009), and Cloud Atlas (2012).
Sarandon also acted on Broadway, which is a famous theater district. Her first Broadway play was An Evening with Richard Nixon (1972). On television, she had guest roles in popular shows like Friends (2001) and Malcolm in the Middle (2002). She also starred in TV films and miniseries, playing important characters like Doris Duke in Bernard and Doris (2008) and Bette Davis in Feud (2017).
Beyond acting, Susan Sarandon is known for her work helping others and supporting important causes. She became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1999. This means she helps promote the work of UNICEF around the world. She also received the Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award in 2006 for her efforts.
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Early Life and School Days
Susan Sarandon was born in New York City. She grew up in a big family with eight brothers and sisters. Her parents were Lenora Marie and Phillip Leslie Tomalin. Her father worked in advertising and television.
When she was four, her family moved to Edison, New Jersey. They were raised Roman Catholic. Susan and her sisters went to an all-girls school, while her brothers went to an all-boys school. Susan was a good swimmer and won many competitions with her sisters. She finished grammar school in 1960.
Sarandon went to Edison High School. While in high school, she joined a band and dance group to entertain sick children. She also loved acting in school plays. She played the main character in Lady Precious Stream and My Sister Eileen. In 1964, she was recognized for her excellent school work and joined the National Honor Society.
After high school, Susan attended the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. from 1964 to 1968. She earned a degree in drama. To support herself during and after college, she worked various jobs, like helping in a hospital and cleaning houses.
Acting Career Highlights
In 1969, Susan and her husband at the time, Chris Sarandon, went to an audition for the movie Joe. Susan got a big role in the film. From 1970 to 1972, she acted in TV soap operas. Her career really took off in 1974. She starred in a popular TV film called F. Scott Fitzgerald and 'The Last of the Belles' and a movie called The Front Page. In 1975, she appeared in the very popular film The Rocky Horror Picture Show. She also starred with Robert Redford in The Great Waldo Pepper.
Sarandon worked with director Louis Malle on two films: Pretty Baby (1978) and Atlantic City (1980). Her role in Atlantic City earned her first Academy Award nomination. She also appeared in The Hunger (1983), a modern vampire story. In 1987, she starred in the comedy-fantasy film The Witches of Eastwick with Jack Nicholson, Cher, and Michelle Pfeiffer. However, she became a household name after starring in Bull Durham (1988) with Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins. This movie was a big success.
In the 1990s, Sarandon was nominated for an Academy Award four more times. She was nominated for her roles in Thelma & Louise (1991), Lorenzo's Oil (1992), and The Client (1994). She won the Oscar for Dead Man Walking (1995). In this film, she played Sister Helen Prejean, who visits a convicted murderer on death row. Critics praised her performance for being strong and honest. In 1994, she received the Crystal Award from Women in Film. She has also been nominated for eight Golden Globe awards for films like Stepmom (1998) and Bernard and Doris (2007).
Some of her other movies include Little Women (1994), James and the Giant Peach (1996), Stepmom (1998), and Enchanted (2007). She has also lent her voice to animated films like Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000) and Cats & Dogs (2001). Sarandon has appeared in many TV shows, including The Simpsons, Friends, and Malcolm in the Middle.
Susan Sarandon has also narrated many documentary films. Many of these documentaries focus on social and political issues. She has also hosted a series about mythology called Mythos. She helps choose films for the NYICFF, a film festival in New York City that shows movies for children and teens.
In 2009, Sarandon was part of an all-star cast in The Lovely Bones. She also worked with her daughter, Eva Amurri, in several films. In 2012, she performed the audiobook for The Member of the Wedding. She continued to act in films like Arbitrage (2012), Cloud Atlas (2012), and The Meddler (2015). In 2017, she played Bette Davis in the TV series Feud, earning another Golden Globe nomination. She also appeared in A Bad Moms Christmas (2017).
More recently, Sarandon joined the "Social Impact Advisory Board" for the San Diego International Film Festival in 2018. In 2019, she was a special guest on the show Magic for Humans. In 2022, she starred in the TV drama Monarch. In 2023, she appeared in the superhero film Blue Beetle. In 2025, she starred in the comedy drama film Nonnas.
Helping Others and Social Causes
Susan Sarandon is well-known for her strong support of important social and political causes. She believes in fairness and helping people. In 1999, she became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. This role allows her to speak up for children's rights and well-being around the world. In 2006, she received an award from Action Against Hunger for her humanitarian work. In 2010, she was also appointed an FAO Goodwill Ambassador, helping with efforts to end hunger. In 2018, she helped plant fruit trees at a housing complex in New York City. In 2022, she became an ambassador for the HALO Trust, an organization that clears landmines.
Speaking for Peace
Sarandon has often spoken out for peace. She was against the 2003 invasion of Iraq. She believed that many Americans did not want to risk their children's lives in war. She joined protests and appeared in ads to promote peace. In 2006, she participated in a Mother's Day protest for peace. In 2007, she joined other actors at a rally in Washington, D.C., supporting the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.
Views on Elections
Sarandon has shared her views during U.S. presidential elections. In 2000, she supported Ralph Nader for president. In 2004, she encouraged voters to support Democratic Party candidate John Kerry. After that election, she suggested that international groups should monitor U.S. elections to ensure fairness.
In the 2008 United States presidential election, Sarandon campaigned for John Edwards and later supported Barack Obama. In the 2012 United States presidential election, she hoped Obama would be re-elected, even though she felt they hadn't always agreed. For the 2016 United States presidential election, she publicly supported Senator Bernie Sanders. She later endorsed Green Party of the United States candidate Jill Stein.
Supporting Civil Rights
In 1995, Sarandon was interviewed for a documentary called The Celluloid Closet, which looked at how Hollywood films showed different groups of people.
Sarandon has also spoken about the importance of fair treatment for everyone. She has become a strong supporter of ending the death penalty and reducing mass incarceration. She has joined efforts to help people on death row. In 2015, she started a campaign to help fund a documentary about a teen's gender transition.
Recent Activism
In 2011, Sarandon spoke at a protest in Madison, Wisconsin. In September 2011, she spoke to people at the Occupy Wall Street protest in New York City. In June 2018, she participated in a rally against gun violence.
On June 28, 2018, Sarandon was arrested with many others during the Women Disobey protests. They were protesting a policy that separated migrant families.
In May 2021, Sarandon tweeted her support for the Palestinian people and the Israeli people, hoping for peace for both. She also signed an open letter criticizing Israel for labeling some Palestinian human rights groups as terror organizations. She was an executive producer for Soufra, a documentary about a food truck in a Palestinian refugee camp.
In November 2023, Sarandon spoke out about the Gaza war. She later apologized for some of her comments, clarifying her intentions. In March 2025, she attended a hearing for a Palestinian activist to show her support for free speech rights.
Personal Life
Susan Sarandon met Chris Sarandon in college, and they married in 1967. They divorced in 1979, but she kept his last name. She later had relationships with director Louis Malle and Italian filmmaker Franco Amurri. She has a daughter, Eva Amurri, with Franco Amurri, born in 1985.
Starting in 1988, Sarandon lived with actor Tim Robbins. They met while filming Bull Durham. They have two sons, John Henry (born 1989) and Miles (born 1992). They broke up in 2009.
After her breakup with Robbins, Sarandon had a relationship with Jonathan Bricklin. They helped start a chain of table tennis lounges called SPiN. Sarandon is a co-owner of some of these locations. They broke up in 2015.
In 2006, Sarandon and her relatives traveled to the United Kingdom to learn about her family's Welsh history. This journey was shown in a TV program called Coming Home: Susan Sarandon. She also learned about her Italian roots in Ragusa, Italy.
Awards and Recognitions
Sarandon has received many honors for her acting career. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Stockholm International Film Festival in 2009. In 2010, she was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. She also received an award for her outstanding contribution to world cinema at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2011. In 2013, she was invited to open the International Film Festival of India in Goa. In 2015, Sarandon received the Goldene Kamera international lifetime achievement award.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has recognized Susan Sarandon for these films:
- 54th Academy Awards, Best Actress in a Leading Role, nominated for Atlantic City (1981)
- 64th Academy Awards, Best Actress in a Leading Role, nominated for Thelma & Louise (1991)
- 65th Academy Awards, Best Actress in a Leading Role, nominated for Lorenzo's Oil (1992)
- 67th Academy Awards, Best Actress in a Leading Role, nominated for The Client (1994)
- 68th Academy Awards, Best Actress in a Leading Role, won for Dead Man Walking (1995)
See also
In Spanish: Susan Sarandon para niños
- List of American film actresses
- List of American television actresses
- List of actors with Academy Award nominations
- List of actors with more than one Academy Award nomination in the acting categories
