Susan Sarandon

Susan Sarandon Bio

Susan Abigail Sarandon, born October 4, 1946, is an American actress whose career has spanned more than five decades across film, television, and stage. Known for portraying strong and complex women, she gained early prominence with The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and went on to earn multiple Academy Award nominations, ultimately winning Best Actress for her performance in Dead Man Walking (1995). Beyond her screen work, Susan Sarandon has built a parallel reputation as a humanitarian and political activist, serving as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and championing causes connected to human rights and social justice.

With a filmography that includes celebrated titles such as Thelma & Louise (1991), Bull Durham (1988), and Little Women (1994), Susan Sarandon remains a defining voice in American cinema. Her ability to bring depth, intelligence, and empathy to her roles has influenced generations of performers and audiences alike.

Early Life and Background

Susan Abigail Tomalin was born on October 4, 1946, in Jackson Heights, Queens, in New York City. She is the eldest of nine children born to Lenora Marie Criscione and Phillip Leslie Tomalin, an advertising executive, television producer, and one-time nightclub singer. Her father was of English, Irish, and Welsh ancestry, while her mother’s family traces its roots to Italy, particularly the Tuscany and Sicily regions. The family was raised Roman Catholic, a faith that shaped Susan Sarandon’s early years.

When she was four years old, the family relocated from New York City to the Stephenville community in Raritan Township, now known as Edison, New Jersey. Susan Sarandon attended the all-girls Saint Francis Grammar School in nearby Metuchen, while her brothers attended the all-boys Saint Matthews Grammar School in Edison Township. At the Woodside Swim Club, she and her sisters became accomplished competitive swimmers, winning many local competitions.

Susan Sarandon graduated from Edison High School in 1964, where she performed the lead in the school play Lady Precious Stream and later played the title character in My Sister Eileen, earning mentions in local newspapers. She then attended the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., earning a Bachelor of Arts in drama between 1964 and 1968 while studying under the respected drama coach Gilbert V. Hartke. To support herself during and after college, she took jobs emptying hospital bedpans, cutting hair, cleaning houses, and working as a switchboard operator.

Path to Celebrity

Susan Sarandon’s professional acting career began shortly after college. In 1968, she and her then-husband Chris Sarandon performed on stage at the Wayside Theatre in Middletown, Virginia. The following year, the couple attended a casting call for the motion picture Joe (1970). Although Chris Sarandon did not secure a role, Susan Sarandon was cast in a major part as a disaffected teen who disappears into the seedy underworld. She made her film debut with Joe and quickly followed it with appearances on the soap operas A World Apart (1970–1971) and Search for Tomorrow (1972).

Her career gained significant momentum in 1974, when she starred in the highly rated made-for-television film F. Scott Fitzgerald and ‘The Last of the Belles’ and appeared in Billy Wilder’s screen adaptation of The Front Page. The following year, Susan Sarandon appeared in the now-iconic cult favorite The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and held the female lead in The Great Waldo Pepper opposite Robert Redford. These early roles established her as a versatile performer willing to take creative risks.

During this formative period, Susan Sarandon was twice directed by acclaimed French filmmaker Louis Malle, in Pretty Baby (1978) and Atlantic City (1980). The latter performance earned her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, marking her arrival as a serious dramatic force in Hollywood.

Susan Sarandon Career

Early Career (1970–1986)

Susan Sarandon spent her first decade in film balancing independent projects, television work, and ambitious studio productions. Her most controversial early film appearance came in Tony Scott’s The Hunger (1983), a modern vampire story featuring a sex scene with Catherine Deneuve that was the first mainstream American film to depict such a scene between two star actresses. This willingness to challenge convention became a hallmark of her career.

She also appeared in the comedy-fantasy The Witches of Eastwick (1987) alongside Jack Nicholson, Cher, and Michelle Pfeiffer, expanding her range into ensemble blockbusters. During these years, Susan Sarandon continued to build a foundation of critically respected work that would soon lead to wider recognition.

Breakthrough (1987–1995)

Susan Sarandon became a household name with her appearance in the commercial and critical hit Bull Durham (1988), co-starring with Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins. Her portrayal of Annie Savoy earned wide praise, including a glowing review from Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert, who credited her performance as essential to the film’s success.

She followed Bull Durham with a string of Oscar-caliber performances: Best Actress nominations for Thelma & Louise (1991) as Louise Sawyer, Lorenzo’s Oil (1992) as Michaela Odone, and The Client (1994) as Reggie Love. Susan Sarandon finally won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking (1995), a role in which she plays a nun who regularly visits a convicted murderer on death row. The New York Times critic Janet Maslin praised her command of the role, noting her determination and emotional depth.

Notable Works and Milestones

Beyond her Oscar-winning turn, Susan Sarandon’s signature films include The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Pretty Baby (1978), Atlantic City (1980), Bull Durham (1988), Thelma & Louise (1991), Little Women (1994), Lorenzo’s Oil (1992), Stepmom (1998), Enchanted (2007), The Lovely Bones (2009), Cloud Atlas (2012), Tammy (2014), and The Meddler (2015). She received the Women in Film Crystal Award in 1994, recognizing her sustained contributions to the craft.

Susan Sarandon Award Nominations

Susan Sarandon has earned an extensive slate of nominations across major industry awards throughout her career. She received Academy Award nominations for Best Actress for Atlantic City (1981), Thelma & Louise (1992), Lorenzo’s Oil, The Client (1994), and Dead Man Walking (1995), plus an additional nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Magnolia (2000). She was also nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Born on the Fourth of July (1991). Beyond these, she has accumulated numerous Golden Globe and Emmy nominations reflecting her range across film and television.

Susan Sarandon Awards Won

Susan Sarandon’s most celebrated honor is the Academy Award for Best Actress, won for her role as Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking (1995). She has also received major lifetime recognition, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Stockholm International Film Festival, induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2010, the Outstanding Artistic Life Award at the 2011 Shanghai International Film Festival, and the Goldene Kamera international lifetime achievement award in 2015. In 2006, she received the Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award for her philanthropic work.

Susan Sarandon Family

Susan Sarandon is the eldest of nine children. Her parents are Lenora Marie Criscione and Phillip Leslie Tomalin, an advertising executive and television producer. She has four brothers, Phillip Jr., Terry, Timothy, and O’Brian, and four sisters, Meredith, Bonnie Priscilla, Amanda, and Melissa.

She has three children, including her daughter Eva Amurri, born in 1985, and her son Miles Robbins, born in 1992. Eva Amurri, the daughter of Italian filmmaker Franco Amurri, has followed her mother into acting and has appeared alongside Susan Sarandon in several projects.

Personal Life

Susan Sarandon married actor Chris Sarandon on September 16, 1967, while they were both students at the Catholic University of America. They announced a trial separation in 1975 and divorced in 1979, though she retained his professional surname. From 1977 to 1980, she shared a live-in relationship with French director Louis Malle, and she later had a high-profile relationship with actor Tim Robbins from 1988 to 2009, with whom she has two sons, including Miles. Following her split with Robbins, she was in a relationship with Jonathan Bricklin from 2010 to 2015, during which they co-owned table tennis lounges under the SPiN brand. Susan Sarandon has spoken publicly about her bisexuality, identifying as open to relationships regardless of gender.