Quote Of The Day By Susan Sarandon: 'I See My Life As An Organism And Not As Something That Is...'

Susan Sarandon's decades-spanning career began with the film "Joe," as well as soap operas such as "A World Apart" and "Search for Tomorrow." 

Sarandon gained recognition for her performance in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," which paved the path for films like "Atlantic City" (for which she received four Oscar nominations), "Thelma & Louise," and "Dead Man Walking" (for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress). The actor also appeared in "The Witches of Eastwick," "Little Women," "Enchanted," and "Cloud Atlas." 

Sarandon memorably played the outrageously entitled Lylah in "Search Party," and Samantha Winslow in the Showtime crime drama "Ray Donovan." The actor is also known for her performance as Bette Davis in the FX anthology miniseries "Feud." Her other TV credits include "The Simpsons," "Friends," "Malcolm in the Middle," and "ER."

Sarandon brings her charismatic presence and authenticity to every role she plays, which is why she is today's quote of the day.

"I see my life as an organism and not as something that is on a linear path where you get to a certain point and you accomplish certain things and you stop. You have to look at your life and relationships as being part of some kind of breathing organism, a living thing. Not a machine, but some kind of plant that keeps growing."

The above quote is from Sarandon's 2014 interview with The Talks. When asked whether it's necessary to turn life upside down once in a while to gain fresh perspective, Sarandon stated that "life is upside down." The actor doesn't see her life as a linear path, but as an evolving organism that keeps on growing.

"One of my strongest talents is that when something that I have not known presents itself, I am able to recognize it and change directions and give it a shot," the actor stated, emphasizing the need to embrace unpredictability.

Susan Sarandon went on to elaborate that her willingness to remain flexible about her life has led to several career opportunities. 

"I feel you need to see the bigger picture and not fret over little stuff," the actor shared. 

She added: "I have a tattoo that goes around my right wrist that looks like barbed wire, but it's actually 'ANDAND' linked together, which basically stands for 'A New Dawn, A New Day.'"

Sarandon also believes in treating every day as a fresh start and nurturing curiosity. 

"The best thing to do is stay curious, live an authentic life, and put yourself in many new situations with people who have a lot of challenging ideas," she said. After all, being open to ideas is the foundation for creative projects that allow artists to find their own voice.

• "I never really studied acting so I kind of kiddingly talk about 'building your circle' and 'mooding up,' because I really didn't learn any technique. But sometimes when you have to go into something, unless you're gifted and can just turn it on and off like a jukebox, you find someplace where there's nothing going on to get yourself into whatever state your character is entering into." — from a 2016 interview with Interview Magazine

• "Fun is very, very important. I don't understand why you would do any job where you can't have fun, but at the same time, I'm so lazy that if it's not somewhat fearful for me, I don't pay attention, There's a fun-fear ratio that you want to get at least even, if not tipping into the fun area." — from a 2017 interview with Stylist

• "What guides me? Well, I can only think of what I tell my kids — be authentic and kind. I'm lucky the business I'm in is just forced empathy, because you are constantly putting yourself in the shoes of somebody else. It's a collaborate art, storytelling. I'm incredibly lucky to still be doing this and earning a living at my age after 50 years in the business." — from a 2021 interview with Salon