Susan Sarandon said she’s “still had movies taken away recently” over her outspoken support of Palestine.
Speaking at the Venice Film Festival press conference for her new film “The Echo Chamber” on Sunday, Sarandon was asked if she thinks the narrative is changing in Hollywood when it comes to the conflict in Gaza. In 2023, the Oscar winner was dropped by her agency UTA after comments she made at a pro-Palestinian rally and said earlier this year she felt she was shunned by the industry for calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
“I think that the narrative has completely changed in terms of historical relevance of Palestine and the ties of Zionists with America and our politics, that has been a major revelation for people. How much money the United States gives to Israel, nobody really understood that,” Sarandon began.
“I’ve still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still,” she continued. “But that’s the power structure. I think within the people, certainly internationally, I feel welcome.”
“The Echo Chamber” hails from Italian director Andrea Pallaoro and filmed in Italy and Belgium. Sarandon stars in the romantic drama, which was Bernardo Bertolucci’s final screenplay, alongside Luca Marinelli and Alicia Vikander.
Sarandon said that Pallaoro was told not to work with her but did so anyway. “I thank Andrea for that, because he doesn’t listen to the warnings,” she said.
“There has been a change in term of the general public, but there are still positions in my industry that are held by Zionists who have not relaxed their feelings towards me,” Sarandon concluded. “But I found my family, I found my people and I’m OK.”