Susan Sarandon denounces pressure in Hollywood over its positions on Gaza
Present at the Venice Film Festival, the American actress claimed to have lost roles because of her pro-Palestinian commitment.
Quick Look
Present at the Venice Film Festival for the film The Echo Chamber, actress Susan Sarandon claimed to have lost roles in Hollywood because of her criticism of the war in Gaza and American support for Israel.
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Why It Matters
Susan Sarandon is one of the committed voices in American cinema criticizing the war in Gaza. She had already been let go by her agency after previous statements.
Present in Venice to defend the film The Echo Chamber in competition at the Mostra, she affirmed that the “narrative” around the war in Gaza and the support of the United States for Israel had “completely changed”.
“People are aware of a lot of things now,” observed the Thelma and Louise actress, particularly regarding the financial and military support provided by the United States to Israel. "I've had roles taken away from me again recently, because there are agencies telling people not to hire me. But that's the power structure," she added.
“I think there has been a change in terms of understanding of the situation in public opinion, but there are still very firmly anchored positions in my sector, defended by Zionists, who have not softened their feelings towards me,” said the 79-year-old actress. “But I found my family, I found mine, and everything is fine,” she stressed during a press conference to a round of applause.
The actress had already apologized
The actress, a Hollywood figure, is one of the most committed voices in the American film industry to criticize the war in Gaza alongside Mark Ruffalo, Richard Gere and Joaquin Phoenix. The war waged by Israel in Gaza has left 73,500 dead on the Palestinian side and 174,000 injured since October 2023 according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, placed under the authority of Hamas, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN.
It was triggered after the unprecedented attack by the Palestinian armed group Hamas against Israel which left 1,221 dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count. Susan Sarandon was let go by her agency United Talent Agency after she said at a rally that American Jews were "getting a taste of what it's like to be Muslim in this country" due to rising anti-Semitic violence. She then apologized, explaining that she had made a "terrible mistake" in the choice of words because it suggested that "until today, Jews had not suffered persecution, which is quite the opposite."
Open Questions
- Which exact agencies are the subject of these accusations?
- What specific roles were taken from the actress?
