Susan Sarandon shared that her public support of Palestine has led to her being blacklisted in some parts of the film industry, saying that she has lost professional opportunities due to her politics.
“I’ve still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still. But that’s the power structure,” Sarandon said to reporters at a Venice Film Festival press conference promoting her role in director Andrea Pallaoro’s new film “The Echo Chamber.” “If it’s a major studio, there is — not just with me, but with other people — (we’ve) been told that that is impossible.”
The 79-year-old star was asked whether attitudes were changing in Hollywood regarding Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Sarandon also highlighted broad shifts in public opinion regarding U.S. support for Israel, adding that among “people, certainly internationally, I have felt welcome.” She thanked Pallaoro for working with her, saying “he doesn’t listen to the warnings.”
“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. Nobody really understood that,” Sarandon said. “There has been a change in terms of the general public, but there are still positions in my industry that are held by Zionists who have not relaxed their feelings towards me.”
Sarandon was dropped by her representatives at United Talent Agency in 2023 over her remarks at a pro-Palestine rally in New York City. Since then, she’s had roles in titles like “The Fabulous Four,” “The Six Triple Eight” and “Nonnas.”
In “The Echo Chamber,” Sarandon stars as an aging singer who hires a music producer recovering from a drug addiction to collaborate on a comeback album. The Italian and Belgian production, adapted from a script by Bernardo Bertolucci, also stars Alicia Vikander and Luca Marinelli.
