Soap Opera History

Susan Sarandon Facts: Celebrities Who Started on Soaps

Published by

Shado Saeyang

5 years ago

Susan Sarandon is best known for starring in such iconic films as the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, as well as Dead Man Walking, Thelma and Louise, The Client, and Little Women. But did you know that she started on a soap?

Along with her acting career, Sarandon is also an activist and is very outspoken about politics. From how she got into acting to becoming a part of an Olympics Opening Ceremony, here are five fast facts about the legendary actress.

Who is Susan Sarandon?

She was born Susan Abigail Tomalin on October 4 in New York City and is the eldest of nine children. She grew up in Edison, New Jersey and graduated from Edison High School. She then attended The Catholic University of America, where she earned her B.A. in drama.

Fell Into Acting
Though she studied drama in school, Sarandon’s first role happened completely by accident. In fact, she accompanied her then-husband, Chris Sarandon, to a casting call for the movie Joe. He didn’t get a part in the movie, but she ended up auditioning for a part and was cast as Melissa Compton.

Soap Beginnings
During that same year — 1970 — Sarandon was cast as Patrice Kahlman on ABC’s A World Apart and stayed with the soap until 1971. It was her first television role. From there, she went on to play Sarah Fairbanks on NBC’s Search For Tomorrow.

Carrying the Flag

Sarandon was selected as one of eight women to carry the Olympic flag at the Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy. She was joined by actress Sophia Loren, novelist Isabel Allende, gold medalist Nawal El Moutawakel, Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, gold medalist Manuela Di Centa, gold medalist Maria de Lurdes Muola, and activist Somaly Mam.

Getting Personal With Susan Sarandon
Sarandon married Chris Sarandon in 1967, but the couple split in 1979. She then went on to date Louis Malle, David Bowie, and Sean Penn. She had a daughter, Eva, with filmmaker Franco Amurri in 1985.

She then started dating actor Tim Robbins in 1988 and they have two sons together, Jack, who was born in 1989 and Miles, born in 1992. Robbins and Sarandon split in 2009. She then moved on with Jonathan Bricklin, but the couple split in 2015.