Susan Sarandon

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Lore & Background

Sarandon made her film debut in Joe (1970) and appeared on the soap operas A World Apart (1970–1971) and Search for Tomorrow (1972). She gained prominence for her role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). After four Oscar nominations for Atlantic City (1980), Thelma & Louise (1991), Lorenzo's Oil (1992), and The Client (1994), she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for playing Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking (1995). Her other notable films include Pretty Baby (1978), The Hunger (1983), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Bull Durham (1988), Little Women (1994), Stepmom (1998), Enchanted (2007), The Lovely Bones (2009), Cloud Atlas (2012), Tammy (2014), and The Meddler (2015). Sarandon made her Broadway debut in An Evening with Richard Nixon (1972) and returned to the stage in the 2009 revival of Exit the King. On television, she had guest roles on Friends (2001) and Malcolm in the Middle (2002), and starred as an advocate in the HBO film You Don't Know Jack (2010), Doris Duke in Bernard and Doris (2008), and Bette Davis in the FX miniseries Feud (2017). She was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1999 and received the Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award in 2006.

Reader's Guide

Susan Sarandon's significance lies in her sustained career as a leading actor in American film, television, and theater, marked by a wide range of roles from cult classics like The Rocky Horror Picture Show to critically acclaimed dramas such as Dead Man Walking, for which she won an Academy Award. Her work often tackled controversial or socially relevant themes, including the vampire film The Hunger, which featured a groundbreaking sex scene between two star actresses. Beyond acting, Sarandon's legacy includes her prominent social and political activism, exemplified by her role as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and receipt of the Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award. Her ability to balance commercial success with independent and activist projects has made her a distinctive figure in entertainment, influencing both the industry and public discourse.

Did You Know?

• Sarandon is the eldest of nine children.
• She earned a Bachelor of Arts in drama from the Catholic University of America in 1968.
• Her first Academy Award nomination was for Atlantic City (1980).
• She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for playing Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking (1995).
• Sarandon was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1999.