11 THINGS YOU MAYBE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT SUSAN SARANDON
Example on and off the big screen, still at 72 years old.
On October 4, 1946, this versatile actress was born, famous for her roles in films such as 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show', 'Thelma and Louise', 'The Durnham Buffaloes', 'Death Penalty', 'The Client', 'The witches of Eastwick', 'Little Women' ... or the recent series 'Feud: Bette and Joan'. We take advantage of her 72nd birthday to learn a little more about her life, her activism and her ping pong club.
Little susan
Her real name was Susan Abigail Tomalin, a surname she would later change to Sarandon after getting married. She was born in October 1946 to a working-class family in Queens, New York, but grew up in Edison, New Jersey. Her father was an advertising executive and television producer. From her mother comes her Italian roots, which she shares with a total of nine - nine! - brothers and sisters. She is the oldest.
A very religious upbringing
She attended Catholic schools and grew up surrounded by strong convictions. Understandably, at that time of childhood and youth, faith was very important to her. "I was obsessed with my faith, with being a good person," she confessed in an interview for the Los Angeles Times. "When things did not go well I was in shock, because I always tried very hard with everything and managed to get on everyone's nerves," she added. The actress also attended a Catholic university, but recognized that it was no longer because of her faith: she simply ran out of places in other centers.
How it started in the cinema
The actress adopted the surname Sarandon in 1967, when she married Chris Sarandon (with whom she would remain until their divorce in 1979). Together they went to live in New York, where he hoped to become a great Broadway actor. She, for her part, soon landed a role on television almost without eating or drinking it. "I had never received acting classes, I had never thought about that future for myself, but I ended up in the trade by chance," he acknowledged in an interview for The Guardian in 2014. In fact, his first role in a movie - 'Joe, citizen American '(1970) - fell when her husband was auditioning for another of the roles in the film. He did not succeed.
'Rocky Horror', her first hit
Today turned into a cult classic, 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' was the first big hit of the actress. Sarandon played one of the main roles: along with Brad Majors he was part of the couple who, back from a wedding, end up in a crazy house dominated by a very trans Tim Curry. It was a complete revolution, and even today it gathers masses and masses of people who sing their songs and dress up with their costumes.
A committed activist
In this photograph, we can see Susan Sarandon at a meeting with politician and activist Ralph Nader, candidate for the presidency between 1996 and 2000 for the Green Party. The actress did not hesitate to give her manifest support to a man who denounced the power of large corporations, who fought for the defense of the environment and tried to draw a more just and free democracy. With these lines, we can get an idea of what ideals Sarandon defends. It is not uncommon to see her demonstrating in favor of abortion, seeking answers to global warming or, in recent times, against Donald J. Trump.
Was in jail
No, Susan Sarandon is not a criminal. But you may have already imagined, reading her adventures in demonstrations and various political gatherings, that it is a woman of arms to take up when defending her beliefs. That was what happened in 1999, when he participated with two hundred people in a peaceful sit-in of disobedience to protest against police violence against the African-American community. "If we weren't here today, then it would mean that what happened is acceptable and normal, and I think that does not work. I think it is time to focus on this issue, and racism is not acceptable. I do not think freedoms should be curtailed. civilians to feel safer, "he said at the time.
She suffered the crisis of 30
As she herself has recognized in some interviews, her 30s were especially tough. It was a time of professional concern, due to several disappointments for not getting the roles she wanted, and, she says, she wanted to find something that would fill her existence more. "I prayed in every chapel. I got more involved in politics hoping to find something that would give more meaning to my life. I was not looking for a son - I was almost 40 years old - but I was dissatisfied in my profession, so I thought there had to be something else. out there, "he told The Guardian. Although she said she did not seek to be a mother, it was that same year that she became pregnant with Ava Amurri, which was a real surprise: the doctors told her when she was young that she had endometriosis and it would be very difficult for her to conceive. Do miracles happen?
She owns a ping pong club
Carefully selected music, vintage aesthetics, decorative graffiti, and nearly 20 ping pong tables - that's the social club that Susan Sarandon franchised, known as SPiN. It is a place that hosts sports competitions, yes, but also parties and other social events. It is, above all, a meeting place, where you can go to have a coffee or a drink, to work or to have fun. Founded in 2009, SPiN has become a brand that spans the North American country.
Carried the flag of the 2006 Winter Olympics
Here you can see her in the photograph, accompanied by other great women: the Italian actress Sophia Loren, the Chilean writer Isabel Allende, the Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, the Moroccan athlete Nawal El Moutawakel, and the Italian athlete Manuela Di. Centa, among others. A group of strong and fighter women, representatives of various cultural and sporting fields, in which Susan Sarandon entered -among her many other qualities as an artist- for her strong commitment to equality.
A woman of risky characters
No one can accuse Susan Sarandon of going the easy way at the movies. The actress has always taken risks, such as journalists, criminals, prisoners of war, scientists, mothers, wives, music teachers or lawyers. Her filmography is as extensive as it is fascinating. In 'Atlantic City' (1980), for example, she shamelessly rubbed a lemon across her naked torso before the gaze of an aging Burt Lancaster. It was precisely for this role that she got her first Oscar nomination, which she would end up taking in 1995 for 'Death Penalty'.
You haven't seen 'Feud'
Indeed: the actress has not wanted to see the series that has earned her most recent Emmy nomination. But why? "It's always heartbreaking when you cut certain things or you look at yourself and think you could have done better or more courageously," she stated in an interview with Variety.
