Susan Sarandon Biography

original name Susan Abigail Tomalin

(1946–)

Share

Video & Images

Watch Video

Related Works

  • Films
  • 1995 The Rocky Horror Picture Show
    1975 The Great Waldo Pepper
    1978 Pretty Baby
    1981 Atlantic City
    1982 Tempest
    1983 The Hunger
    1985 Compromising Position
    1987 The Witches of Eastwick
    1988 Bull Durham
    1991 Thelma and Louise
    1992 Lorenzo's Oil
    1994 The Client
    1995 Dead Man Walking
    1996 James and the Giant Peach
    1998 Twilight
    1998 Stepmom
    1999 Earthly Possessions
    1999 The Cradle Will Rock
    1999 Anywhere But Here
    2000 Joe Gould's Secret
    2002 Igby Goes Down
    2002 Moonlight Mile
    2004 Alfie
    2004 Shall We Dance?
    2005 Elizabethtown
    2007 Romance & Cigarettes
    2007 In the Valley of Elah
    2007 Mr. Woodcock
    2007 Manufacturing Dissent
    2007 Enchanted
    2008 Speed Racer
    2009 The Lovely Bones
  • Television
  • 19701 A World Apart
    1973 Haunting of Rosalind
    1974 Satan Murders
    1974 F Scott Fitzgerald and the Last of the Belles
    1982 Who Am I This Time
    1983 Faerie Tale Theatre
    1985 Mussolini: The Decline and Fall of Il Duce
    1986 Oxbridge Blues
    1988 Your Water, Your Life
    1989 Postpartum: Beyond the Blues
    1999 Earthly Possessions
    2003 Ice Bound
    2005 The Exonerated
    2008 Bernie and Doris
Susan Sarandon

Actress, activist. Born on October 4, 1946, in New York City. Known as an actress and an activist, Susan Sarandon has shared with the world her dramatic talents and personal convictions. She graduated the Catholic University of America in 1968 and not long after made her first film Joe (1970).  After a few other film roles, Sarandon landed a part in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), a campy musical, which has developed quite a cult following over the years. 

Susan Sarandon earned her first Academy Award nomination for Atlantic City (1980) starring opposite screen legend Burt Lancaster. But her career really seemed to pick up steam later that decade with appearances in The Witches of Eastwick (1987) and Bull Durham (1988). In The Witches of Eastwick, she played one of three women seduced by the devil (Jack Nicholson) and developed special powers. This comedic battle of good versus evil showed Sarandons talent for lighter fare. In Bull Durham, she played a smart and sexy baseball team owner who becomes involved with one of her players—Tim Robbins who would become her partner in real life.

With Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon made one of her most memorable films Thelma and Louise (1991), which centered on the friendship of two women on a road trip turned wrong. Her portrayal of the tough, protective, and somewhat broken Louise brought her another Academy Award nomination. Sarandon was also nominated for Lorenzo's Oil (1992) and The Client (1994). She played a nun in the gritty and powerful capital punishment drama Dead Man Walking (1995) and won her first Academy Award for her performance.

More recently, Sarandon took to the stage to appear in a revival of Eugene Ionesco's Exit the King. She played Queen Marguerite to Geoffrey Rush's King Berenger in the critically acclaimed production. On the big screen, Sarandon has a supporting role in The Lovely Bones, a film adaptation of the best-selling novel by Alice Sebold.

Outspoken on many issues, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins included information on the plight of Haitian HIV-positive refugees during the 1993 Academy Awards ceremony where they appeared as presenters. In 2006, she was one of the celebrities that joined antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan in a fast against the war in Iraq.

Susan Sarandon has three children: a daughter from a relationship with writer Franco Amurri and two sons with actor Tim Robbins. She was also married to actor Chris Sarandon from 1967 to 1979.

© 2009 A&E Television Networks. All rights reserved.

advertisement

BIOGRAPHY Video

Biography

Real stories about fascinating people. Watch FULL Biography episodes!

On TV

I Survived...

New Season Begins 12/6! Watch FULL Episodes now!

Shatner's Raw Nerve

Shop Biography

Barack Obama: Inaugural Edition DVD

Barack Obama: Inaugural Edition DVD

Get exclusives and hard to find titles only at the Biography Shop. Buy Now

Email Sign Up

Get email updates on your favorite BIO shows and what's new on bio.com!

– Bio.com news
– BIO shows
– Born On This Day

…and more! SIGN UP today!

Featured This Month

Amelia Earhart

AMELIA EARHART

Learn more about pioneering aviatrix Amelia Earhart and the conspiracy theories surrounding her disappearance. Watch videos, view timeline, study guide, and more.

JFK

JOHN F. KENNEDY

JFK was the 35th president of the U.S. serving from 1961 until his assassination in November 1963. Watch video, view photo gallery, and more.

Nostradamus

FULL BIO EPISODES

What were the 2012 predictions of Nostradamus? How well do you know President Barack Obama? Check out our VIDEO GUIDE to see all video!

Celebrity Bookings