Susan Sarandon Says Pro-Palestine Advocacy Continues to Cost Her Hollywood Roles — ‘There Are Agencies That Are Telling People Not to Hire Me’

VENICE — Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon has revealed that her vocal support for Palestine continues to cost her movie roles in Hollywood, as major talent agencies and studios reportedly blacklist her over her political activism.

Speaking at a press conference at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 6, 2026, the 79-year-old star said she is still being shut out of projects despite what she described as a significant shift in public understanding of the conflict .

"In terms of the power structure, I've still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still," Sarandon told reporters. "But that's the power structure" .

'The Narrative Has Completely Changed' — But Hollywood Hasn't

Sarandon, who is promoting her latest film The Echo Chamber at the festival, said that public awareness of the U.S.-Israel relationship has evolved dramatically since the Gaza war began in 2023 .

"I think that the narrative has completely changed in terms of the historical relevance of Palestine and the ties of Zionists with America and our politics," she said. "That has been a major revelation for people, how much money the United States gives to Israel. Nobody really understood that" .

Recent opinion polls have indeed shown a softening of U.S. support for Israel and rising sympathy for Palestinians. However, Sarandon emphasized that Hollywood's leadership has not caught up with public sentiment .

"There are still very strongly held positions within my industry that are held by Zionists and who have not relaxed their feelings towards me," she said .

A Thank You to the Director Who 'Didn't Listen to the Warnings'

Sarandon thanked The Echo Chamber director Andrea Pallaoro for casting her despite what she described as industry pressure not to work with her.

"If it's a major studio, I think it's not just with me, but with other people who have been told that that is impossible, in terms of being able to do this film," she said. "I thank Andrea for that, because he didn't listen to the warnings" .

The film, which also stars Alicia Vikander and Luca Marinelli, is one of 21 features competing for the Golden Lion award at the festival .

The UTA Split: What Sparked the Backlash

Sarandon's industry troubles trace back to November 2023, when she was dropped by United Talent Agency (UTA) after remarks she made at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York's Union Square .

At the rally, she said: "There are a lot of people afraid of being Jewish at this time and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence" .

The comment sparked immediate backlash. In December 2023, Sarandon issued an apology, calling her phrasing "a terrible mistake" and saying she had not intended to imply that Jews had been strangers to persecution .

"This phrasing was a terrible mistake, as it implies that until recently Jews have been strangers to persecution, when the opposite is true," she wrote .

Despite the apology, the professional damage has persisted. In March 2026, Sarandon told the Spanish Film Academy's Goya Awards that it had become "impossible for me to even be on television" and that she couldn't do "any major film, anything connected with Hollywood" .

'I Found My Family, I Found My People'

Despite the professional setbacks, Sarandon struck a defiant tone at the Venice press conference, drawing applause from reporters.

"But I found my family, I found my people, and I'm OK," she said .

The actress, who won an Academy Award for Dead Man Walking and starred in classics like Thelma & Louise, Bull Durham, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has been one of Hollywood's most outspoken pro-Palestinian voices alongside actors like Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, and Richard Gere .

A Broader Hollywood Backlash?

Sarandon's comments come amid growing concern over blacklisting in Hollywood over the Gaza conflict. In May 2026, Cannes-winning writer Paul Laverty called out the industry at the Cannes Film Festival, saying: "Isn't it fascinating to see Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo blacklisted because of their views in opposing the murder of women and children in Gaza? Shame on Hollywood" .

Ruffalo, who has also faced backlash, was defended publicly by George Clooney, who pushed back against accusations of antisemitism targeting the actor .

The Bottom Line

As Susan Sarandon continues to promote The Echo Chamber in Venice, her remarks serve as a reminder that Hollywood's political divisions remain as deep as ever — and that for some outspoken artists, the cost of activism is measured in lost opportunities.

Whether the industry's "power structure" will eventually shift remains an open question. For Sarandon, the answer, at least for now, is clear: "I found my people, and I'm OK" .