At 77, Susan Sarandon Hits Back At Critics Of Her 'Horribly Inappropriate' Outfit With Revealing Throwback Photo

Jul 03, 2023 by apost team

Actress Susan Sarandon has had a long and successful career, starting out as a wide-eyed ingénue in the 1970s. She has since starred in an array of films and television shows and has been honored with multiple awards and accolades over her several decades in the entertainment industry. The star has also made appearances on stage, both on and off Broadway. Aside from her acting career, Sarandon has also been a vocal activist for various causes, including endometriosis treatment. She is also a Unicef Goodwill ambassador. But where did it all start?

Sarandon was born on Oct. 4, 1946, in New York City, New York. During her school years, she found a love for performing and began acting, dancing and playing musical instruments. It was clear that she had talent from the start, and it only got stronger as she made her way into adulthood.

The actress made her acting debut in the film “Joe” in 1970. Shortly after, she went on to appear on television before later starring as Janet Weiss in the musical comedy horror film “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

She’s been in several other notable films, including “The Witches of Eastwick,” “Lorenzo’s Oil,” “The Client,” and “Little Women.” However, to this day, Sarandon’s most recognized film is 1991’s “Thelma & Louise,” in which she starred alongside Geena Davis. The movie was praised for championing sisterhood and friendship, portrayed fantastically by the two female leads. 

Nowadays, Sarandon is in her late 70s and has continued to show off her beautiful physique while exuding confidence. However, some people — including Piers Morgan — have criticized the star for apparently not dressing appropriately for her age.

There’s no doubt that the 1991 film “Thelma & Louise” left a lasting impact on the world. Sarandon and Davis, the movie’s leading ladies, reunited in June 2021 to reminisce on their time filming the movie together.

The two actresses couldn't have been happier to be at the event and even wore coordinating outfits. Sarandon wore a shirt that read, "She's My Thelma & I'm Her Louise," while Davis' said, "I'm Her Thelma & She's My Louise." Even though the film was released 30 years ago, it has had a lasting impact on both of their careers as well as the film's writer, Callie Khouri.

"There are going to be so many movies starring women, about women, female road pictures, whatever," Davis recalled to The Hollywood Reporter. The actress was right to some degree as "Thelma and Louise" has had an impact on what audiences could expect from women in movies.

However, Davis thought there was still room for improvement. She continued, "I'm thinking, hot dog, let's sit back and wait for all this magic change to happen. We're still waiting. It really did not happen. It seems like every five years or so, there's another movie starring women that's a huge hit and people say, 'Well now certainly everything is going to change,' and it really hasn't."

When asked what it was like filming the iconic driving sequences from the movie, Sarandon responded:

"It was really fun, especially in the desert. What I learned is that you do your best acting when you're really just trying to drive a car and you're not thinking about anything and getting the shots lined up. I was driving pretty fast by the time we finished the movie."

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Davis told The Hollywood Reporter the film changed what scripts she chose for the future. She said, "It made me realize how few opportunities we give women to come out of a movie feeling empowered by the female characters. It made me really think about what women in the audience are going to think about my character from now on and led me to want to play parts where I could feel good about the choices the character makes. I turned down parts based on that thinking for sure."

It turned out there was much more backlash to the female-led film than originally anticipated. Sarandon continued:

"I completely underestimated that we were backing into territory held by white heterosexual males. They got offended and accused us of glorifying murder and suicide and all kinds of things."

What Saradon and Davis thought would be a breath of fresh air for the public was met with a tirade from male audiences and critics alike. "It didn't seem like a big deal, it seemed like it was unusual that there would be a woman that you could be friends with in a film. Normally, if there were two women in a film, you automatically hated each other for some reason. … Next thing we knew, all hell broke loose." 

Despite the difficulties brought on by closed-minded individuals, the women-centered action film set the precedent for more movies to feature women as more than just supporting characters or romantic interests. On top of that, Sarandon and Davis became role models for young girls.

Like most modern-day celebrities, fans have now turned into followers for Sarandon. The megastar has a way for fans to follow her life off the big screen when she isn't working. Her popular Instagram page has almost two million followers. In her Instagram bio, Sarandon referred to herself as a mother, activist and actress. 

By the looks of it, Sarandon has engaged with her social platform quite often. From flashback photos to acting to her current activism work, it is safe to say that Sarandon is still impacting the world even decades after stepping onto the Hollywood scene. 

In a picture posted back in October of 2021 announcing her new endeavor with NFTs, her fans had nothing but love for her in the comments section. "You are an amazing woman," one Instagram user wrote. Another commented on the popular post and said, "Beautiful🔥🙏💋." 

Not only does she post her new work endeavors but also her past work. In January of 2020, the star posted a throwback photo with star actress Julia Roberts that sent the internet into a fan frenzy. Her caption read, "Stepmom NYC premiere with this beauty @juliaroberts. 12/15/98 #tbt." Fans were excited to see the favorite duo together. Internet users commented and wrote, "The golden era of hollywood." One more fan commented on the picture and said, "Rewatched this today. This movie is phenomenal. You are everything ♥️🙏🏼😭 your performance 😭." 

It is safe to say that after many years in Hollywood, the star has been able to remain relevant but also loved throughout the world. 

Sarandon has been married and divorced once and has had three highly publicized romances with Franco Amurri, Tim Robbins and Jonathan Bricklin. She also has three children, with her eldest being born when she was 39 years old and her youngest when she was 45.

Sarandon has also been vocal about becoming a mother around the age of 40. She had her first child – lifestyle blogger and actress Eva Amurri – in 1985. Sarandon welcomed her second child – director and writer Jack Henry Robbins – in 1989, and her third child – musician and actor Miles Robbins – in 1992.

According to PEOPLE, Sarandon has no regrets about how or when she became a mother. Speaking about the worst advice she was ever given, the actress shared:

“I think it was, ‘Don’t have the baby,’ as though it would ruin my career, and I was so old anyway.”

She continued, “I had my first baby at 39 and my third at 45, and with each child, (people were) like, ‘Are you crazy? Don’t!’”

Speaking with PEOPLE in 2020, Sarandon offered some advice for soon-to-be moms. “What I always tell any woman who’s telling me they’re thinking of having a baby is that no matter how involved or well-intentioned your baby daddy or husband is, it is up to you in the beginning,” she said. “That’s the way it’s designed, there’s just not getting around that.”

“Try to have the best time you can with the birth and everything else because it’s a pretty crazy, sci-fi adventure. Try not to think you have to be perfect,” she added.

Now 77, Sarandon is not only a mother but also a grandmother! Even though the actress said that the latter role is “so much easier,” it’s clear that she’s enjoyed every part of her motherhood journey.

In a 2018 interview, Sarandon happily spoke about becoming a grandmother. Her daughter Eva, for whom she had received much criticism for having back in the day, had since grown up and started a family of her own. The actress, whose career is still going strong despite the sacrifice she supposedly made in becoming a mother, seemed ecstatic about the toddlers, Marlowe Martino and Major Martino, joining the larger Sarandon brood.

“They are thriving … Marlowe is just so funny — she’s a fierce little clown and so articulate. And Major’s really showing his personality. They’re divine. I love them,” she excitedly told interviewers.  

Sarandon also spoke in interviews about her daughter's abilities as a parent, saying, "I think that what she's doing is amazing. I'm very proud of her. ... And she's really a funny kid. She's fierce, she's strong."

The treasured actress did admit that although she survived motherhood, the latter half isn't as rigorous. She conceded, “It’s so much easier, so much easier (being a grandmother)." However, Sarandon doesn't seem quite ready to retire to the porch rocker lifestyle, refusing to be called any traditional nicknames by the grandkids. Her daughter commented, "Honey is her grandma name." Well, we wish Honey Sarandon and her big, happy family all the best as they continue to learn and grow.  

Despite being at an age that is past most Hollywood actresses’ sell-by date, Sarandon has continued to find acting gigs that are not just “grandma” roles. She played a sultry teacher in the TV show “30 Rock” and free-spirited Isis in “A Bad Moms Christmas.”

Starting from her role as the sexually enlightened Janet Weiss in 1975’s “Rocky Horror,” Sarandon has had a reputation for pulling off sexy characters who are not afraid to speak their mind. 

She has also been a regular on Hollywood “Sexiest Women” lists, which she said she loves. She told news.com.au:

“I don’t have any problem with it at all. I mean, my friends this age are sexual. It’s not like I’m a freak. I think age is a myth that has to be revisited. Just as people have seen 40 isn’t the end of life, 60 isn’t the end, either.”

She added that attitude plays a big part in coming off as attractive. She mentioned how inspired she was by the late French star Jeanne Moreau for always saying “yes” to life, which made her “compelling.”

Sarandon spoke with PEOPLE about aging gracefully. “If you want to age gracefully, you don’t smoke cigarettes and probably laugh a lot, and get the normal amount of exercise, and eat well and stay out of the sun would be the main things,” she shared.

While Sarandon’s beauty is absolutely apparent in all the films and shows she’s starred in over the years, she said it’s not the be-all and end-all:

“I’ve learned that beauty is not about being perfect. It’s the imperfections that make you beautiful.”

While Sarandon clearly exudes confidence, some people have criticized the star for the way she dresses. In 2016, Morgan blasted Sarandon on Twitter over a revealing outfit that comprised a white suit jacket opened enough to reveal only a black bra underneath.

Morgan tweeted, “Would Susan Sarandon wear this to a funeral? No. It was thus horribly inappropriate for an In Memoriam tribute.” In another tweet, he added, “To clarify, I've no problem with Susan Sarandon flashing her breasts. Just tacky to do it when fronting 'In Memoriam' at awards show.”

Some people agreed with Morgan, with one person calling Sarandon “unattractive” and another calling her a “wretched, old, dried up, nasty nobody.”

However, others stood up against Morgan, calling him “tacky” and a “loser.” Sarandon also stood up for herself and tweeted, “Today’s #TBT is dedicated to @piersmorgan.” She included a photo of herself wearing a bra.

Sarandon spoke with Harper’s Bazaar about her take on fashion. “I’m not up on everything in fashion, but I know what appeals to me and what I find interesting that I want to hold onto,” she said. “I’m not someone who constantly follows trends.”

The actress explained she wears suits so often because “they’re so comfortable,” and has also ventured into wearing jumpsuits that make her “look like a mechanic.”

At the end of the day, it seems like Sarandon is comfortable in her body at any age and has learned to “appreciate” more in her 70s. She shared:

“When your sense of time has an ending and isn’t finite, like how it feels when you’re young – when you have an understanding that time is precious – you have a tendency not to waste energy on the small stuff and only to surround yourself with people who are vital, curious, brave and adventurous.”

Are you a fan of Susan Sarandon? What do you think about her fashion choices over the years? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends.