«Don’t hold anything back»: Susan Sarandon at 80 for S Moda
An honest conversation with the Hollywood icon
American actress and political activist Susan Sarandon stars in a new issue of the Spanish magazine S Moda, titled «The Heart of an Activist». The Hollywood star was photographed by Ukrainian photographer Yulia Gorbachenko.
In the images, the 80-year-old Sarandon appears in understated, elegant looks. In the accompanying interview, she reflects on her personal principles, her outlook on life, her career and the importance of personal freedom.
Sarandon has never been one to hide her views and speaks openly in support of the causes she believes in. Her political stance has sparked controversy on more than one occasion, but she has no intention of abandoning her convictions just to win other people’s approval.
«Sometimes people call me a communist. I think some people use that word to suggest that someone isn’t quite right in the head», she remarked wryly.
Sarandon was recently arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest outside the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Her convictions also influence the film projects she chooses. She is drawn to stories that move audiences, encourage them to think or invite them to see familiar things from a different perspective.
«When I read a script, I want it to move me. It’s important to me that the character is someone I haven’t played before. It’s great when a project has a well-respected director behind it, but sometimes they’re newcomers. It’s nice when you can get paid for the work, but sometimes that isn’t possible», the actress explained.
Sarandon has appeared in more than 100 films, including Hollywood hits such as «The Client» and «While You Were Sleeping», the cult classic «The Witches of Eastwick» and «Thelma & Louise», a film that became a symbol of female freedom and independence. She won an Academy Award for her performance in the drama «Dead Man Walking».
Now, at 80, Sarandon has no plans to slow down. This year, the Spanish Film Academy honoured her career with the International Goya Award. In September, she also presented her film «The Echo Chamber» at the Venice Film Festival.
Yet Sarandon seems to measure her greatest achievements not by the awards she has received, but by her ability to live in accordance with her own principles. She admitted that she does not try to avoid mistakes. On the contrary, she sees them as an essential part of gaining experience and growing as a person.
«Make mistakes, big mistakes, but make them faster. You know instinctively when something is toxic, when you’re not being true to yourself, when you’re betraying yourself. Listen to that feeling, but don’t spend two years on it. You can learn the lesson in about four months. I’m always giving everyone far too many chances myself», the actress shared.
She also revealed that she had recently discussed the subject with her grandchildren. Sarandon wants to live her life in such a way that, when the time comes, she will not feel she has left anything unfulfilled or unsaid.
«I was talking to my grandchildren recently, and I told them that I want to leave this world having used up every last drop of myself. Holding nothing back. As athletes say, give it everything you’ve got. Just live in the here and now», she emphasised.
Photo: El País
