How has Sarandon achieved such a long-lasting career? What do friends, lovers, critics and fellow actors think of her? Why is she involved in so many social causes? Discover the answers to these questions and more in Tucker's award-nominated book.
Excerpt from Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick (by Betty Jo Tucker):
Mentioning Susan Sarandon’s name in any conversation will perk things up considerably. People have differing opinions about her unconventional lifestyle, her political beliefs, her many causes and her movies. Outspoken, controversial and extremely talented, this beautiful actress has become an American icon with influence around the world. During a movie career spanning over 30 years, Sarandon has portrayed some of the most memorable female characters of the silver screen…She’s made us laugh, cry, think, wonder – and understand ourselves better after watching her passionate performances. Before our very eyes, she went from hippie daughter to grieving mother. In between she played such diverse characters as a flamboyant actress, a sexy baseball groupie, a dictator’s mistress, a disillusioned waitress, a vampire’s victim, and a dedicated nun. So far, she's earned five Oscar nominations and won the golden statuette for her brilliant work as Sister Prejean in "Dead Man Walking."
Maintaining a sense of humor about all her awards, Sarandon keeps her Oscar in her bathroom. Speaking to the audience at one of her many tributes, she announced facetiously, “I’m going for a rest stop. I have all my other awards, but I want a rest stop named for me.” That doesn’t surprise me. Sarandon’s quirky humor also comes out in the choice of “Waiting for Guffman” as the comedy she would like to see most when she gets the blues…And her reaction to being named the Ten of Hearts in NewsMax’s Deck of Weasels evokes shades of Oscar Wilde. “I am elated to know they had enough people to make a full deck,” she told People magazine.
Sarandon’s trademark nonconformity is evident not only in her private life and the causes she supports but also in the type of challenging roles she chooses. She prefers playing strong but imperfect women who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. Like Sarandon herself, what these characters do is at great personal cost.
Sarandon gave one of her most powerful performances as Michaela Odone in “Lorenzo’s Oil,” a movie based on the true story of parents who refused to give up when doctors told them there was no hope for their ailing son. I am pleased to donate my author’s royalties from SUSAN SARANDON: A TRUE MAVERICK to The Myelin Project, a multi-national organization formed to support research on diseases like the one depicted in that inspiring film.
