Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon has stated that she continues to face professional repercussions in the film industry due to her outspoken support for Palestinians, even as public opinion appears to be shifting against US support for Israel. Speaking at the Venice Film Festival, where she is promoting her latest movie, The Echo Chamber, Sarandon said some sectors of the industry still shun her because of her activism.
Industry resistance persists despite shifting public opinion
“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,” Sarandon said. “That has been a major revelation for people, how much money the United States gives to Israel, nobody really understood that.”
US opinion polls have indeed shown a softening of support for Israel and a rise in sympathy for Palestinians since the start of the Gaza war in 2023. However, the 79-year-old actor said her support for the Palestinian cause continues to carry professional consequences.
“I’ve still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still,” she told reporters. “But that’s the power structure. I think [among] people, certainly internationally, I feel welcome.”
Career background and 2023 agency split
Sarandon, who won an Academy Award for Dead Man Walking, rose to prominence in films including The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Bull Durham, and Thelma and Louise. She was dropped by her longstanding talent agency UTA in 2023 after remarks she made while attending pro-Palestinian rallies one month after the Hamas attack on Israel, including: “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.”
Venice festival and the Gaza conflict
The conflict has spilled into this year’s Venice Film Festival, with activists calling on organisers to raise the Palestinian flag in recognition of Palestinian directors screening at the event. The festival’s artistic director, Alberto Barbera, has said this is impossible because Italy does not formally recognise the state of Palestine, but he has pointed to several films being shown on the Lido that depict the struggle of ordinary Palestinians.
Sarandon said resistance to hiring outspoken critics of Israel remains particularly strong among major studios. “If it is a major studio, I think it’s not just with me but with other people who have been told that that is impossible,” she said, thanking Andrea Pallaoro, the director of The Echo Chamber, for casting her.
“I found my family, I found my people and I’m OK,” she said, sparking prolonged applause at the news conference.
The Echo Chamber and Golden Lion competition
In her latest film, adapted from the final screenplay by Italian film-maker Bernardo Bertolucci, Sarandon plays an ageing singer who hires a music producer recovering from drug addiction to work on a comeback album. The Echo Chamber is one of 21 films competing for Venice’s Golden Lion award, which will be presented on 12 September.
