Susan Sarandon has revealed she is ‘still’ continuing to lose major Hollywood movies due to her vocal support of Palestine, even if ‘the narrative’ around how the US has supported Israel has changed.
The Thelma & Louise actress, 79, was dropped by her agent, UTA, in 2023 after attending several pro-Palestinian rallies, including one on November 17 of that year in New York, where she called for an Israel-Gaza ceasefire.
‘In terms of the power structure, I’ve still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still,’ Sarandon told Metro and other outlets on Sunday at the Venice Film Festival press conference for her new film, The Echo Chamber.
‘But that’s the power structure. I think within the people, certainly internationally, I feel welcome.
‘So it depends. If it’s a major studio, I think there is, not just with me but with other people, that have been told that that is impossible.’
Sarandon plays singer Ava in The Echo Chamber, who is coaxed by a producer to record new music while he is battling an opioid addiction. It’s based on famous Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci’s (The Last Emperor, Last Tango in Paris) final screenplay and co-stars Alicia Vikander and Luca Marinelli, with Andrea Pallaoro directing.
‘In terms of being able to do this film, I thank Andrea for that because he didn’t listen to the warnings.’
Sharing that there are still some people in Hollywood ‘who have not relaxed their feelings towards to me’, she added: ‘But I’ve found my family, I’ve found my people, and I’m okay.’
The Hollywood star’s remarks were met with a spontaneous 20-second burst of applause.
Earlier in the conference, she had said she felt the wider narrative about Israel and Palestine had been shifting in America.
‘I think that the narrative has completely changed in terms of the historical relevance of Palestine and the ties of Zionists with America and our politics – that has been a major revelation for people, how much money the United States gives to Israel,’ she said.
‘Nobody really understood that, and also now we have voted to combine the army of the United States with the army of Israel. So there’s a lot of things that people are aware of now.’
Sarandon’s career spans over five decades and has included accolades including an Oscar, a Bafta, an Actor Award, and nominations for seven Emmys and 10 Grammys.
Her best-known work includes The Witches of Eastwick (1987), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), and Dead Man Walking (1995), the latter of which earned her the Academy Award for best actress in a leading role.
Last month, she honoured Tim Curry, her late Rocky Horror co-star, after he died aged 80.
Her tribute described him as ‘funny, sexy, [and] original’, as she praised him for being ‘sweet and generous with his fans’.
While now essentially blacklisted, as she says, Sarandon has long been associated with political activism and left-wing causes, from various charity donations to ambassadorships.
Her anti-war activism is well documented, as she and ex-partner Tim Robbins took an early stance against the 2003 Iraq invasion, and she went on to feature in numerous ads and protests alongside other celebrities.
When she was dismissed by her agent in December 2023, she issued a statement, apologising for her remarks at the rally a month prior and insisting she ‘deeply regrets’ them.
The comments, which circulated online that November, included: ‘There are a lot of people afraid of being Jewish at this time and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country.’
She later called the phrasing a ‘terrible mistake,’ as ‘it implies that until recently Jews have been strangers to persecution, when the opposite is true’.
The movie star vowed to ‘continue [her] commitment to peace, truth, justice, and compassion for all people’.
‘I hope that we can meet with love and willingness to engage in dialogue, especially with those with whom we disagree,’ she penned.
After her agent cut ties, Sarandon shifted her career focus to independent European films and theatre, and found new representation in England and Italy.
Following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, The Echo Chamber will be released in Italy on September 10.