Susan Sarandon claims she has movie roles 'taken away' due to her political beliefs
VENICE, ITALY: Susan Sarandon says she is still being penalized for voicing her political beliefs, claiming that agencies continue to discourage people from hiring her. The actor made the comments during a press conference for her new romantic drama 'The Echo Chamber,' which premiered at the 2026 Venice International Film Festival on Sunday.
Sarandon also discussed the impact of her activism on her career and addressed what she described as changing public awareness surrounding Israel's occupation and war on Palestine.
Susan Sarandon says agencies are still discouraging people from hiring her
“I’ve still had movies taken away recently, because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still,” Sarandon noted during the Venice press conference. “But that’s the power structure.”
Sarandon's political activism dates back decades, including her opposition to the Iraq War and support for the Occupy Wall Street movement. More recently, her advocacy on behalf of Palestinians amid Israel's ongoing bombardment of Gaza has faced increased scrutiny.
Asked during the press conference whether she believes that “tides [are] changing” regarding Israel's occupation of and war on Palestine following Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack, Sarandon replied, “I think that the narrative has completely changed. There’s a lot of things that people are aware of now.”
Sarandon also discussed continuing to find opportunities outside the United States. “Certainly internationally, I feel welcome,” she noted.
'The Echo Chamber' is an Italian production directed by Andrea Pallaoro and written by Bernardo Bertolucci before his death in 2018.
“In terms of doing this film, I thank Andrea for that, because he didn’t listen to the warnings,” Sarandon shared. She added that while she believes there has been a change in understanding of the situation among the general public, there remain “very strongly held positions within my industry held by Zionists and [those] who have not relaxed their feelings towards me.”
“But I found my family, I found my people, and I’m okay,” Sarandon said.
Susan Sarandon discusses the impact of activism on her career
Sarandon has previously discussed the toll of her activism, including labeling the Israeli operation in Palestine a genocide and advocating for a ceasefire. In 2023, she was dropped as a client by United Talent Agency, and her American film work has since waned.
“I was fired by my agency specifically for marching and speaking out about [Gaza] — for asking for a ceasefire — and it became impossible for me to even be on television,” she said in February. “I don’t know lately if it’s changed, [but] I couldn’t do any major film, anything connected with Hollywood.”
Sarandon appeared in only one film last year, the Netflix family dramedy 'Nonnas'. She has only one American film slated for this year, 'The Accompanist', directed by Zach Woods, who has joined Sarandon and Mark Ruffalo in advocating for Palestine.
Her comments at Venice come as she continues to describe international work as a space where she feels welcome, while maintaining that her political views continue to affect opportunities within the American film industry.
