Oscar nominated actress Susan Sarandon’s Hollywood career spans over 40 years, with breakout roles in such films as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and “Bull Durham.” But the critically acclaimed Sarandon was actually born Susan Tomalin. She later changed her surname when she married fellow actor Chris Sarandon, perhaps best known for his work in “The Princess Bride,” and as the voice of Jack Skellington in Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Susan and Chris divorced in 1979, so why has she kept his last name throughout her career, and where do things stand with the two now?
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In a November 2024 interview with The Sunday Times, Susan acknowledged her curious choice, and complimented her ex as well. “He was a very kind man and he kept me alive, you know, so I’m happy to have that name,” she said. Susan also mentioned that while she kept her ex-husband’s last name, she wishes she had changed her first name.
She pointed out that while other actresses like Sigourney Weaver and Stockard Channing began with the first name Susan, they “had the sense to change that name,” leaving her stuck with Susan. She went on to say that “It’s kind of nice to do a rechristening as you start to realize who you are.”
Susan Sarandon’s relationship with Chris Sarandon impacted her career
Susan Sarandon’s marriage to Chris Sarandon lasted nearly 12 years, from 1967 to 1979. According to CT Insider, the two actors met while attending the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in the 1960s. Though they each worked to break into the business during their relationship and remained together throughout, Susan said she didn’t really want to get married in the first place. “When we split — talk about conscious uncoupling — he was so kind,” she said. “Because I’m the one that was, you know, unstable, kind of, and Chris was so generous and so sweet with me.”
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The two have remained on good terms through the years, with Susan appearing on Chris’ “Cooking by Heart” podcast in September 2023. “When I met Chris,” she recalled, “I thought and correctly so, that he knew everything because he took me to black and white movies and introduced me to literature and basically saved my life actually with his kindness.” She gave her ex the credit for her being who she is, and Sarandon still hasn’t given up on finding love.
The two have also been known as social activists through the years, pointing to acting as the reason. “I think just the artistic temperament requires that you see things from many different perspectives,” Chris said. “That you understand the way people think, the way people feel about their lives.”
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