Venice (QNN)- Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon said on Sunday she was still losing work because of her outspoken support for Palestinians, amid what she described as a broader shift in public opinion against US support for Israel.
Speaking at the Venice Film Festival, where she is promoting her latest movie The Echo Chamber, Sarandon said some parts of the film industry continued to shun her over her pro-Palestine activism.
"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 US opinion polls have shown support for Israel softening and sympathy for Palestinians rising since the start of the Israeli genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in 2023.
However, the 79-year-old actor said her support for the Palestinian cause continued to carry professional consequences.
"I've still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still," she told reporters. "But that's the power structure. I think (among) people, certainly internationally, I feel welcome."
Susan Sarandon has been an outspoken supporter of Palestinian rights and a critic of Israel’s assault on Gaza.
In November 2023, she said publicly: “I stand with Palestine. No one is free until everyone is free.”
She was dropped by her longstanding talent agency UTA in 2023 after remarks she made while attending pro-Palestinian rallies shortly after the Israeli genocide.
In March 2026, the Oscar-winning actress confirmed that she was banned from Hollywood because of her support for Palestine.
"In the very first November, I was fired by my agency, specifically for marching and speaking out about Gaza for asking for a ceasefire," she said at the Spanish Film Academy's 2026 International Goya in Madrid, stressing that "it became impossible for me to even be on television."
Sarandon said resistance to hiring outspoken critics of Israel remained particularly strong among major studios.
"If it is a major studio, I think it's not just with me but with other people who have been told that that is impossible," she said, thanking Andrea Pallaoro, the director of The Echo Chamber, for casting her.
"I found my family, I found my people, and I'm OK," she said, sparking prolonged applause at the news conference.
