The most memorable Susan Sarandon roles

In addition to Sarandon's presence, fellow Hollywood big-timers Goldie Hawn and Geoffrey Rush help lend credibility to this 2002 comedy that received mixed reviews for a plot without much depth. "Vinnie" is a former groupie, along with pal Suzette (Hawn), who's matured into a wife and mother with more traditional values. Of course, her reunion with a still care-free Suzette brings some of her past inhibitions to life once again. 

Another 2002 effort from Sarandon. She's again surrounded by established stars in Dustin Hoffman, Holly Hunter, and Jake Gyllenhaal for a 1970s-based romantic drama about a mother and father dealing with the murder of their daughter, while still keeping her fiancée in their lives. The film received mixed reviews for its rather pedestrian plot, but Sarandon is strong as the conflicted and skeptical mother trying to deal with her daughter's death.

For as celebrated as Sarandon has been for her work on the big screen, she's enjoyed some memorable moments on television. When it comes to network TV, Sarandon has brilliantly shown her comedic chops. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy as Meg, an annoyingly disgruntled woman who befriends Lois at Hal's company picnic. She's not happy with her marriage and won't stop talking about it. Eventually, the two argue and brawl in a muddy puddle. 

This Disney 2007 animated/live-action comedy actually mocks those fairytale/fantasy cartoon features and musicals from the company. It's an overall good time for the viewers, and Sarandon is a big reason. Sarandon's evil Queen Narissa is a disturbed sorceress and Prince Edward's wicked stepmother. She is not a fan of princess-to-be Giselle (Amy Adams), but her intended over-the-top villainy is one of the high points of the picture.

Sarandon has long been lauded for her on-screen versatility. She has no problem adding some heat and passion to her roles. Nora, a blue-collar waitress, who finds herself in a relationship with a younger, uppity advertising executive (James Spader), delivers both. It's fair to say that White Palace, from 1990, is an average film. Yet, Sarandon is the undisputed star who shines well beyond the sensual moments.

This 2009 supernatural drama tells the tale of a recently murdered 14-year-old girl watching over her family from "the in-between" during the early 1970s. Amid the drama and pain the family feels, Sarandon's Grandma Lynn provides most of the movie's light-hearted moments. She's crass and likes drinking, smoking, and even shooting guns. Perhaps that's her way of dealing with the grief the surviving family must deal with together.

Some of Sarandon's notable television performances came through biographical channels. In this case, it was the 2010 HBO story of the infamous "mercy killer" Dr. Jack Kevorkian. She picked up another Primetime Emmy nomination as Janet Good, a prominent advocate for the right-to-die movement that picked international attention — and acceptance — because of Kevorkian (Al Pacino). Much like her real life, Sarandon has been outspoken over a number of social and political issues. She rarely pulls punches, and this character exudes that attitude. Albeit with a sense of compassion, most of the time. 

Four years before You Don't Know Jack, HBO and Sarandon teamed up to tell the story of tobacco heiress and philanthropist Doris Duke, once considered the wealthiest woman in the world. However, Duke's dramatized relationship with her self-sabotaging butler Bernard Lafferty (Ralph Fiennes) makes the movie hum. Doris is an over-the-top character, and Sarandon plays that up to the hilt — earning another Primetime Emmy nomination. 

While FX's Feud anthology series lasted only one season in 2017, Sarandon left a lasting impression. Bette and Joan chronicled the bitter rivalry between legendary Hollywood starlets Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) during their time filming the 1962 classic What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Sarandon and Lange have no trouble bringing out the cattiness in their characters, which is entertaining — even if the series proved not to be among the masses. The season earned Sarandon her most recent Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations.

Sarandon's first Primetime Emmy Award nomination can be traced back to the seventh season of this beloved NBC comedy. Veteran actress Cecilia plays Jessica Lockhart on Days of Our Lives, but her late character's brain has been transplanted into that of Dr. Drake Ramoray, thus bringing Joey back to the show. The unhinged and volatile Cecilia is unaware she is being written off the series, but she offers to give Joey some pointers before the two hook up. Interestingly, Sarandon's real-life daughter Eva Amurri plays opposite her Days character.

Despite sharing the big screen with fellow stars Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Jack Nicholson, Sarandon's Jane might be the most human character in this popular 1987 comedy drama. Jane is a shy divorcee and music teacher who cannot have a child. But, like her two other female friends, she becomes captivated by the devilishly captivating charm of Nicholson's Daryl Van Horne.  

There are likely plenty of Susan Sarandon fans who forget she played the heroine in this beloved 1975 cult classic that remains a regular staple of midnight theater showings across America. Engaged to the square Brad (Barry Bostwick), Janet goes through the wringer once she and Brad are forced to look for help inside a strange castle, where the likes of Riff Raff and Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) are causing trouble.

Mimi is far from a supportive mother to an easily entitled and dislikable son, "Igby" (Kieran Culkin). She's obnoxious, relatively indifferent to anything below her class, and likes to drink — a lot. However, Mimi is not without compassion. While preparing for her death from cancer, she realizes she needs her son more than she thought possible.

Sarandon's first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress came in 1982 for this role. In this Louis Malle romantic crime drama, Sarandon's Sally is a waitress who dreams of becoming a blackjack dealer. Those plans are interrupted when her estranged husband and sister, whom he's impregnated, show up in Atlantic City to deal a hefty amount of cocaine. Sally's confidence and emotions are tested during this dangerous time, but she remains determined to have a better life.

The 1990s were particularly good for Sarandon's acting career. By 1998, she was among Hollywood's elite and thoroughly shined in this Chris Columbus-directed drama that grossed nearly $160 million worldwide. Jackie is a divorced mother of two children, trying to deal with her ex-husband's younger girlfriend (Julia Roberts), who eventually becomes stepmother to her kids. Jackie can naturally be overprotective and judgmental when it comes to the new family dynamic, but she's doing her best. It's easy for audiences to feel Jackie's frustration and pain amid the overall situation, which she must accept and even embrace.

From 1992-96, Sarandon earned four Academy Award nominations for Best Actress. This was the second during that span. Based on a true story, Sarandon's Michaela and Augusto (Nick Nolte) Odone are parents to son Lorenzo. He suffers from adrenoleukodystrophy, a defective disease that's fatal within two years of diagnosis. To call Michaela a fighter would be an understatement. She will do anything to help save her son's life — taking on prominent doctors, wealthy corporations, and skeptic friends. It's one of Sarandon's most inspiring performances. 

Another Best Actress Oscar nomination came Sarandon's way for her brilliant performance in this 1994 film adaptation of John Grisham's popular legal novel. "Reggie" is an intelligent attorney and recovering alcoholic. It's impressive how she manages to hold things together while showing strength and compassion in representing her 11-year-old client, Mark Sway (Brad Renfro), and his younger brother. Sarandon received a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role.

In the realm of fictional sports-movie characters, Annie Savoy is among the greatest. She's a quirky, outgoing, and confident feminist who's also misguided spiritually. She worships in the "church of baseball" and believes shacking up with a promising minor league prospect each season means something within her warped view of the universe. Of course, all of Annie's molecules are disrupted that one season when Ebby Calvin "Nuke" Laloosh (Tim Robbins) and "Crash" Davis (Kevin Costner) come into her life. 

It was 10 years after her first Oscar nomination that Sarandon received another Best Actress nod. Thelma & Louise kicked off quite a run of professional success for Sarandon during the 1990s. Louise is a sassy waitress vacationing with her best friend, Thelma (Geena Davis). This is a celebrated story of female empowerment and friendship. Both Sarandon and Davis are exceptional. Their on-screen chemistry between their characters makes this one of the best "buddy" films of all time.

Under the direction of then-romantic partner and Bull Durham co-star Tim Robbins, Sarandon finally earned that elusive Best Actress Academy Award victory. This is Sarandon's most powerfully emotional role as the Sister who attempts to help death-row inmate Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn) commute his sentence to life in prison. The on-screen relationship between the characters can be taxing on the brain and the heart.