Susan Sarandon turns 80 following New York protest arrest and Venice film premiere

Recent protest and arrest in New York

Susan Sarandon reached her 80th birthday on 4 October 2026, ten days after police placed her in handcuffs during a demonstration in New York. On 24 September 2026, Sarandon joined Jewish American activists outside the United Nations General Assembly to protest the war in Gaza and the address delivered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Wearing a shirt reading "Fund People, Not Bombs", she stood alongside fellow actors Cynthia Nixon and Hannah Einbinder before police took dozens of protesters into custody. The arrest marked at least the fifth time Sarandon had been detained at political actions, following a 2018 arrest at a demonstration against the immigration policies of the Trump administration.

Venice premiere and career repercussions

The arrest in Manhattan came weeks after Sarandon presented her new film, "The Echo Chamber", at the Venice Film Festival in early September 2026. Directed by Italian filmmaker Andrea Pallaoro and based on a screenplay by Bernardo Bertolucci, the production features Sarandon alongside Alicia Vikander and Luca Marinelli. During the festival press conference, Sarandon addressed the professional fallout from her public stance on the Gaza conflict and Palestine. She stated that Hollywood agencies had advised producers against casting her, publicly thanking Pallaoro for disregarding those industry warnings. Next, Sarandon will attend the Rome Film Festival to receive the Womenland Award 2026 and present Zach Woods' film "The Accompanist".

Five decades on screen

Born Susan Abigail Tomalin on 4 October 1946 to television producer Phillip Leslie Tomalin and Lenora Marie Criscione, Sarandon entered cinema through an accidental audition in 1968 with her then husband Chris Sarandon. She made her screen debut in the 1970 film "Joe", later appearing in Mario Monicelli's 1971 comedy "La mortadella". Her breakthrough came in 1975 when director Jim Sharman cast her as Janet Weiss in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" opposite Tim Curry, after she dropped in on auditions to visit a friend. Sarandon later recalled her initial hesitation to sing aloud for the part during the casting process.

No, I cannot sing, I am even afraid.

Her subsequent work spanned key roles in 1980s and 1990s cinema, including "Bull Durham" in 1988 alongside Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins, as well as the 1991 film "Thelma & Louise" directed by Ridley Scott.

Oscar recognition and enduring activism

Across her career, Sarandon collected five Academy Award nominations for Best Actress. Her first nomination arrived for Louis Malle's 1980 crime drama "Atlantic City", followed by nominations for "Thelma & Louise" in 1991, "Lorenzo's Oil" in 1992, and "The Client" in 1994. In 1996, she won the Best Actress Oscar for portraying Sister Helen Prejean in the 1995 anti-death penalty drama "Dead Man Walking", directed by Tim Robbins. In February 2026, she received the International Goya in Barcelona at the 40th edition of the awards. On social media, where she connects with more than two million followers, Sarandon lists her identities in strict order: mother, activist, actress.