Susan Sarandon Accuses Modern Casting Criteria Of Focusing On Social Media Following Instead Of Talent

Susan Sarandon’s latest movie, The Fabulous Star, finally made it to the big screen after weeks of filming during the SAG-AFTRA strike. She noted that a lot of improvisation was employed, with no strict rules for delivery, making it more fun than a regular set.

She also called out movie casting styles, noting that it is very corporate now and with requirements; she also feels background checks look deeply into a person’s social media follower count, which is inconsequential to the candidate’s talent.

Casting today

“This is the way the world works in our business,” Sarandon mused. “It’s very corporate now, even more. They look at how many followers you have and all kinds of things that have nothing to do with the creative process in order to cast movies now.”

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These days, casting is overshadowed by commercial success and anyone who can rake in the most numbers rather than the actual creative process. As is obvious in recent projects, filmmakers are more concerned about the marketability of their actors on social media rather than their ability.

Other Hollywood stars like Emma Thompson, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jessica Chastain have also addressed the issue of social media influence being a threat to mastery. Talents are now being forced to get active on social media and amass a large following to be considered for roles.

Susan has Tim Curry to thank for her ‘Rocky Horror’ role

Susan played Janet Weiss in 1975’s Rocky Horror thanks to Tim Curry’s nudge during auditions. She had met the beloved actor in Los Angeles and dropped by the auditions to simply say hello and leave. Things took a turn as Tim urged her to read or sing “Happy Birthday” to land a part.

Unlike everyone else who only had stage acting experience, Susan’s time in film was a plus for her. Her resilience was also impressive as she continued working despite suffering from pneumonia. Susan also starred alongside Geena Davis in Thelma And Louise, and unknown to many, she was the mastermind behind the story’s conclusion. Like her previous roles, Susan had the offer from director Ridley Scott without question.