Susan Sarandon Claims Hollywood Blacklisting Over Pro-Palestinian Stance

Actress Susan Sarandon, 79, stated at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday that her pro-Palestinian advocacy continues to cost her professional opportunities in Hollywood. While presenting her film "The Echo Chamber," Sarandon told reporters that agencies and studios are still advising producers against hiring her. "I've had contracts for movies taken away from me recently because certain agencies continue to dissuade people from hiring me," she said.

Sarandon believes the public discourse in the United States has shifted since the start of the war in 2023, with increased criticism of American support for Israel. She also feels more welcomed internationally than within mainstream Hollywood circles. In 2023, Sarandon was dropped by her agency, UTA, following her participation in pro-Palestinian rallies. She has continued to publicly defend the Palestinian cause and criticize Israel.

At the festival, she thanked director Andrea Pallaoro for casting her in "The Echo Chamber," despite what she described as warnings he may have received. The film features Sarandon as an aging singer attempting to revive her career.