Susan Sarandon says she still loses film roles over Palestinian advocacy
Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon told the Venice film festival she continues to lose movie roles because of her outspoken support for Palestinians, even as US public opinion shifts against Israel. She said resistance remains strongest among major studios.
At the Venice film festival, where she is promoting her new film The Echo Chamber, 79-year-old actor Susan Sarandon said parts of the film industry still avoid hiring her because of her activism on behalf of Palestinians.
She said she has recently had roles taken away because agencies were warning potential employers against hiring her. Still, she framed this as a problem with power structures rather than public sentiment, saying she feels welcomed internationally.
Sarandon noted that public discourse around Palestine and US financial support for Israel has shifted substantially, with more people now aware of the scale of American aid to Israel. US polling has shown support for Israel softening and sympathy for Palestinians growing since the Gaza war began in 2023.
Sarandon's outspoken stance dates back to 2023, when comments she made at pro-Palestinian rallies a month after the Hamas attack on Israel led her longstanding talent agency, UTA, to drop her as a client.
Known for roles in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Bull Durham and Thelma and Louise, and an Academy Award winner for Dead Man Walking, Sarandon thanked director Andrea Pallaoro for casting her in her latest project, an adaptation of the final screenplay by Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci.
The Palestinian issue has also touched this year's Venice festival more broadly, with activists urging organisers to fly the Palestinian flag in recognition of Palestinian directors screening their work there. Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera said this was not possible since Italy does not formally recognise the Palestinian state, though he pointed to several films at the festival depicting the struggles of ordinary Palestinians.
The Echo Chamber is among 21 films competing for the festival's Golden Lion award, to be awarded on 12 September.
