Chris Sarandon at 83: From Oscar nominee to podcaster and gardener

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At 83, veteran histrion Chris Sarandon—the star of classics similar The Princess Bride, Fright Night, and the voice of Jack Skellington—has traded the surface for a quieter beingness arsenic a podcaster and gardener astatine his Connecticut home. Sarandon looks large for 83, according to The Guardian, which gave a lengthy interrogation astir his life, his work and however helium mislaid everything, to statesman again.

The son of Greek immigrants who ran a edifice successful West Virginia, his aboriginal beingness included household upheaval; his parent aboriginal moved to Los Angeles, where she worked for stars similar Natalie Wood and Rita Hayworth.

Sarandon’s vocation is defined by iconic roles successful his mid-80s/early 90s aureate run, but his true breakthrough came 50 years agone successful 1975 heist thriller Dog Day Afternoon. Based connected a true story, Sarandon played Leon Shermer, the trans person of Al Pacino’s slope robber character, Sonny Wortzik. The nuanced, vulnerable show earned Sarandon a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.

The movie was pioneering for its time, treating its queer characters’ identities arsenic incidental to their humanity. To prepare, helium cooked and spoke with radical who lived their lives arsenic women, gaining a captious understanding of the character’s affectional truth.

He recalls a cardinal lesson: realising helium was flirting with 1 of his probe subjects, calling it “a existent acquisition successful the dynamic of some the physiological and the affectional dimension” of Leon’s experience. Sarandon notes that while helium wouldn’t beryllium formed successful the relation today, helium remains arrogant of the show and condemns the modern politicisation of trans rights, proudly wearing a Pride bracelet.

Despite his bully looks, Sarandon rejected casual romanticist leads, preferring “the atrocious guys” who were much absorbing to play. This penchant led to hard projects, similar the arguable 1976 movie Lipstick and The Sentinel (1977), which was directed by the “malevolent” Michael Winner. Sarandon admits the unpleasant acquisition with Winner astir made him discontinue acting.

Films, Fright Night and the phantasy of The Princess Bride, allowed him to equilibrium playing evil and bully guys. He recalled connected the Bride set—improvising puns with Christopher Guest and introducing his children to André the Giant. Though not an contiguous hit, The Princess Bride became a viral phenomenon, with fans acting arsenic “evangelists” for the battered VHS tape.

Later, Sarandon endured a “major fiscal reversal” aft being defrauded, losing his beingness savings, which coincided with the illness of his 2nd marriage. He met his existent wife, Joanna Gleason, during the abbreviated tally of a disastrous Broadway musical, which helium calls the start of his “third life.”

During the pandemic, helium launched his nutrient podcast, Cooking By Heart, which explores guests’ lives done their culinary memories.

He was profoundly touched when his archetypal wife, Susan Sarandon, reached retired to look connected the show, marking the archetypal clip they had seen each different successful astir two decades. Reconnecting was heartening; they are present adjacent friends again.