Susan Sarandon

In 1916, her grandfather Giuseppe Criscione emigrated to the USA from Ragusa, Sicily, where he was born in 1901. Now she is honorary citizen of Ragusa and the city gave her the "Ragusani nel Mondo" award.

Is one of two actresses who won an Oscar for playing a nun. The first was Jennifer Jones in The Song of Bernadette (1943).

Attended Catholic University of America Drama School, 1964-1968. Met and married Chris Sarandon there (by priest who was head of Dept.).

One of eight women, also among them Sophia Loren and author Isabel Allende, carrying the Olympic flag at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games' opening ceremony in Turin (10 February 2006). She and Loren co-starred 35 years earlier in the film La mortadella (1971).

After filming Lovin' Molly (1974), she remained friends with co-star Anthony Perkins until his death in 1992.

Caught pneumonia after they shot the pool scene in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).

Sang in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975); recorded a duet with Eddie Vedder which played over the end credits of Cradle Will Rock (1999).

Played Brooke Shields's mother in two separate films: Pretty Baby (1978) and King of the Gypsies (1978).

Received a 1979 Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play for her Off-Broadway debut opposite Eileen Brennan in playwright John Ford Noonan's two-character piece, "A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking.".

Received a 1982 Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play for her performance as a victimized woman who rallies and turns the tables on her would-be attacker in the hit Off-Broadway play "Extremities", by playwright William Mastrosimone.

Parents separated in 1982, after 40 years of marriage.

Turned down the lead female role in Tightrope (1984) because she objected to the violence against women in the story. The part went to Geneviève Bujold.

Former partner of Tim Robbins. They had been together from 1986 until 2009.

In 1991 and 1992 she was the New York Film Critics Circle's runner-up pick for their annual best actress of the year prize. In 1991, she was chosen the runner-up for her landmark performance as half of the now-iconic duo in director Ridley Scott's modern-day western "Thelma & Louise". In 1992, she was the group's runner-up for her heartbreaking turn in director George Miller's fact-based drama "Lorenzo's Oil".

In 1992, the National Society of Film Critics named her as their runner-up for best actress for her performance in Lorenzo's Oil (1992).

As co-presenters of the Academy Awards in 1993, Susan and her former partner, Tim Robbins, seized a chance to bring public attention to the plight of a few hundred Haitians with Aids who had been interned in Guantanamo Bay.

Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful in the world. [1996]

Ranked #35 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]

Was arrested for disorderly conduct during a protest in New York over the unarmed shooting of African immigrant Amadou Diallo by four policemen (30 March 1999).

Supported Ralph Nader during his 2000 Presidential Election campaign.

Was involved in the effort to have Laura Schlessinger's television show taken off the air in 2000, because of her disagreement with Schlessinger's conservative views. The effort was successful in leading many sponsors to drop their support of the show, which was ultimately cancelled less than a year after its premiere.

In 2005, she and the rest of the chief creative team behind the 11-part radio documentary, "Leonard Bernstein: An American Life," a chronicle of the legendary American musical giant's life and career, were recipients of the (George Foster) Peabody Award bestowed by the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia at the 64th presentation of the honor. The Peabody is the premiere international prize given for electronic (i.e. television and radio) media.

Received the "World Lifetime Achievement Award" at the 2006 Women's World Award in New York.

Has a dog named Penny, a Pomeranian Maltese. The dog appears in the movie, Bernard and Doris (2006), playing a pet of Doris, the character she portrayed.

Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2008 Razzie Award nominating ballot. She was suggested in the Worst Supporting Actress category for her performance in the film Mr. Woodcock (2007). She failed to receive a nomination however.

Launched a table tennis bar called "Spin New York" in June, 2009.

Received "Stockholm Lifetime Achievement Award" in 2009.

Revealed in December 2009 that she and partner Tim Robbins had broken up during the summer of that year.

She was inducted into the 2010 New Jersey Hall of Fame for her services and contributions to Arts and Entertainment.

Along with Gerard Butler, Demi Moore, Ben Stiller and director Paul Haggis, she visited a camp for internally displaced persons managed by Sean Penn and his "Jenkins-Penn Humanitarian Relief Organization" in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. [April 2010]

In 2011, bought a penthouse "bachelorette" pad atop townhouse on West 9th St., Manhattan, just blocks from the W. 15th St. duplex she had shared for many years with Tim Robbins.