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celebratedliving.com
SUMMER 2010
“
hedge-fund traderplayedbyShiaLeBeouf (who just
happens tobe thefiancéofGekko’sdaughter, playedby
CareyMulligan) inorder tokeepherhouse.Hercharac-
ter’spredicament is indeedasignof the times.
WhileSarandonhasneverbeenvery interested in
tradingandplaying thestockmarket (“anymoney I
have isveryboringly invested”)she feels theglobal
economicdownturn is“anopportunity forpeople tore-
evaluatewhat is important in termsofconsuming,how
wespendour time,andourpriorities. It isa time tobe
realand to leadmoreauthentic lives.Weneed tofind joy
inways thatarenotdependentonfinances,”shenotes.
Althoughher résumé isdottedwitheverygenreof
film— comedy, thriller, anddrama (shehaseven lent
hervoice to children’s cartoons), the candidactress is
stumpedwhenasked topinpoint a role that is the
closest to her persona. “I think that actors infuse
their choiceswith somepieceof irony, intellect, and
senseof humorwhen they takeon the skinof some-
oneelse. Thereare certain roles thatwereempower-
ing, and certainpartsverydifficult that neededme to
completely surrendervanityand control inorder for
them towork. I guess that is the funof it, asyouget
away fromwhoyouare.”
The formermodel’s foray intoacting camequite
byaccidentwhen sheaccompanied then-husbandand
actorChrisSarandon toa casting call for the 1970
film
Joe
,whichwasabout thedeathof thehippie
daughterof abusinessexecutive. Shewas cast in the
role, andherhusbandwaspassedover. Since this
time,manyof herfilm charactershavenot lived to
see theending credits. “Iwould like to stopdying in
films,” theNewYorknativenotes. “Love stories in-
steadof dyingwouldbegood!Movie choices—much
likeyour life—areall about framing, howyou see
and live life, howyou takewhat isdealt, andhowyou
choose tosee thebiggerpicture. People thatarehav-
ing themost funandare themost resilient are the
oneswhohave learned to frame their lives—and
what comes into their lives— ina joyous, curious,
open, andunafraidway,”sheexplains.Herfilmchoices
have led toanOscar forher roleasSisterHelen
Prejean in
DeadManWalking
, aswell as fourother
BestActressnominations.
And fear is certainlynot awordassociatedwith
Sarandon.Anardent activist, shehas championed
the rightsof the sickandneedy, promotedwomen’s
issues, anddevotedher talents tohelping thosewith
HIV/AIDSworldwide,with several of herprincipled
protests leading toarrests.Asa childof the 1960s,
Sarandon sawactivism take root inher earlywhen
she cameof ageduring the civil rightsmovement and
theeraof theVietnamWar. Shehasbeen fortunate to
useher fame for thepublicgood, andher causesare
asvariedasherfilm roles.
Duringherempty-nesterstage,Sarandonplans to
travelandworkasaGoodwillAmbassador forUNICEF
andHeifer International, anorganization thatdonatesa
IRONY, INTELLECT,andSENSEofHUMOR
I think that actors infuse their choiceswith some piece of
when they take on the skinof someone else. ...”
Visit celebratedliving.com to see themovie trailer for
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.
