Susan Sarandon Says It “Became Impossible” to Work in Hollywood After Calling for Gaza Ceasefire

Susan Sarandon is opening up about where her film and television career currently stands and why she hasn’t been working as much.

The Oscar-winning actress — who was dropped by United Talent Agency in November 2023 after making controversial remarks about the Israel-Gaza war — shared an update on her career during a Feb. 27 discussion, via Reuters, ahead of receiving the International Goya award at the Spanish Film Academy’s Goya Awards ceremony in Barcelona.

“I was fired by my agency, specifically for marching and speaking out about Gaza, for asking for a ceasefire,” Sarandon said. “It became impossible for me to even be on television. I don’t know lately if it’s changed. I couldn’t do any major film or anything connected with Hollywood.”

The Thelma & Louise star continued, “I found agents ultimately in England and in Italy, and I work there. I just did a film in Italy, and I did a play at the Old Vic for a number of months. I know this Italian director that just hired me — he was told not to hire me, so that’s still recently. He didn’t listen, but they had that conversation. Right now, I kind of specialize in tiny films with directors who have never directed, in independent films.”

Sarandon also got emotional at one point during the discussion, expressing her gratitude to Spain and Ireland’s leadership for being outspoken in their support for Gaza, compared to the U.S.

“In a place where you feel repression and censorship, to see Spain and to see the president and what he says and the support that he’s giving about Gaza, and to have actors like Javier Bardem come forward with such a strong voice, is so important to us in the United States,” she said. “When you turn on the TV and you see how strong Spain is and how clear that you are morally about these issues, it makes you feel less alone and it makes you feel that there is hope because of you all and the fact that you just don’t hear that on television in the United States. You don’t know that that exists.”

The Dead Man Walking actress added, “When someone stands up so strongly, when a nation stands up, and I include Ireland in this too, I can’t tell you how very important it is to those of us who are trying in an atmosphere that is very difficult when we see that kind of strength and moral clarity, how much it means to us.”

After Sarandon made controversial remarks at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York City’s Union Square in November 2023 amid the Israel–Hamas conflict, she was dropped by her talent agency, UTA. She later released a statement, saying she “deeply regrets” her comments at the time.