Chris Sarandon
American actor
Susan Sarandon
(m. 1967; div. 1979)Lisa Ann Cooper
(m. 1980; div. 1989)Joanna Gleason
(m. 1994)Christopher Sarandon[1] (/səˈrændən/; born July 24, 1942)[1] is an American actor. He is well known for playing a variety of iconic characters, including Jerry Dandrige in Fright Night (1985), Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride (1987), Detective Mike Norris in Child's Play (1988), and Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Leon Shermer in Dog Day Afternoon (1975).
Early life
Chris Sarandon was born and raised in Beckley, West Virginia, the son of Greek-American restaurateurs Chris and Cliffie (née Cardullias) Sarandon.[2][1] His father, whose surname was originally "Sarondonethes", was born to Greek parents in Istanbul, Turkey.[3]
Sarandon graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley. He earned a degree in speech at West Virginia University. He earned his master's degree in theater from Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C.
Career
After graduation, he toured with numerous improvisational companies and became much involved with regional theatre, making his professional debut in the play The Rose Tattoo during 1965.[1] In the summer of 1968 he and his then-wife, Susan Sarandon, worked as actors at the Wayside Theatre in Middletown, Virginia.[4][5] Later that year Sarandon moved to New York City, where he obtained his first television role as Dr. Tom Halverson for the series The Guiding Light (1973–1974). He appeared in the primetime television movies The Satan Murders (1974) and Thursday's Game before obtaining the role in Dog Day Afternoon (1975), a performance which earned him nominations for Best New Male Star of the Year at the Golden Globes and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Sarandon appeared in the Broadway play The Rothschilds and The Two Gentlemen of Verona, as well making regular appearances at numerous Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw festivals in the United States and Canada. He also had a series of television roles, some of which (such as A Tale of Two Cities in 1980) corresponded to his affinity for the classics. He also had roles in the thriller movie Lipstick (1976) and as a demon in the movie The Sentinel (1977).
To avoid being typecast in villainous roles, Sarandon accepted various roles of other types during the years to come, portraying the title role of Christ in the made-for-television movie The Day Christ Died (1980). He received accolades for his portrayal of Sydney Carton in a TV-movie version of A Tale of Two Cities (1980), co-starred with Dennis Hopper in the 1983 movie The Osterman Weekend, which was based on the Robert Ludlum novel of the same name, and co-starred with Goldie Hawn in the movie Protocol (1984). These were followed by another mainstream success as the vampire-next-door in the horror movie Fright Night (1985). He starred in the 1986 TV movie Liberty, which addressed the making of New York City's Statue of Liberty.
One of his most endearing roles onscreen, is that of Prince Humperdinck in Rob Reiner's 1987 movie The Princess Bride, though he also has had supporting parts in many other successful films, including his lead turn in the original horror classic Child's Play (1988). In 1992, he played Joseph Curwen/Charles Dexter Ward in The Resurrected. He also played Jack Skellington, the main character of Tim Burton's animated Disney movie The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), and has since reprised the role in other productions, including the Disney/Square video games Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II and the Capcom sequel to the original movie, Oogie's Revenge. Sarandon also reprised his role as Jack Skellington for several Disneyland Halloween events and attractions including; Halloween Screams, the Frightfully Fun Parade, and the Haunted Mansion Holiday, a three-month overlay of the Haunted Mansion, where Jack and his friends take control of a mansion in an attempt to introduce Christmas, much as his character did in the movie.
Sarandon appeared in TV again with a recurring role as Dr. Burke on NBC's long-running medical drama ER.
In 1991 he performed on Broadway in the short-lived musical Nick & Nora (based on the movie The Thin Man) with Joanna Gleason, the daughter of Monty Hall. Sarandon married Gleason in 1994. They have appeared together in a number of movies, including Edie & Pen (1996), American Perfekt (1997), and Let the Devil Wear Black (1999). During the 2000s he made guest appearances in several TV series, notably as the Necromancer demon, Armand, in Charmed, and as superior court judge Barry Krumble for six episodes of Judging Amy.
In 2006 he played Signor Naccarelli in the six-time Tony award-winning Broadway musical play The Light in the Piazza at Lincoln Center. Most recently he appeared in Cyrano de Bergerac as Antoine de Guiche, with Kevin Kline, Jennifer Garner, and Daniel Sunjata.
In 2016 he performed in the Off-Broadway production of the Dave Malloy musical Preludes as Anton Chekhov, Tchaikovsky, Alexander Glazunov, Leo Tolstoy, Tsar Nicholas II, and The Master.
He is on the advisory board for the Greenbrier Valley Theatre in Lewisburg, West Virginia.
Personal life
Sarandon has been married three times: he married actress Susan Sarandon in 1967.[1] The two met while attending Catholic University of America together in Washington, D.C. The marriage lasted for twelve years; the pair divorced in 1979.[1][6][7] After divorcing from Susan, he married his second wife, fashion model Lisa Ann Cooper, in 1980.[1] The couple had two daughters and one son: Stephanie (born 1982), Alexis (born 1984), and Michael (born 1988).[1] After nine years, the marriage ended in divorce in 1989.[1]
In 1994, he married his third wife, actress and singer Joanna Gleason.[1][8] The couple met while performing in Broadway's short-lived 1991 musical Nick & Nora; they returned to the stage together in 1998's Thorn and Bloom.[8] They also collaborated in several films together, such as Road Ends, Edie & Pen, Let the Devil Wear Black, and American Perfekt.
Sarandon is a member of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes/Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Thursday's Game | Counsellor | |
| 1975 | Dog Day Afternoon | Leon Shermer | Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated—Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor |
| 1976 | Lipstick | Gordon Stuart | |
| 1977 | The Sentinel | Michael Lerman | |
| 1979 | Cuba | Juan Pulido | |
| You Can't Go Home Again | George Webber | ||
| 1980 | The Day Christ Died | Jesus Christ | |
| A Tale of Two Cities | Sydney Carton Charles Darnay | ||
| 1981 | Broken Promise | Bud Griggs | |
| 1983 | The Osterman Weekend | Joseph Cardone | |
| 1984 | Protocol | Michael Ransome | |
| 1985 | This Child Is Mine | Craig Wilkerson | |
| Fright Night | Jerry Dandridge | Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actor | |
| 1986 | Liberty | Jacque Marchant | |
| 1987 | The Princess Bride | Prince Humperdinck | |
| Mayflower Madam | Matt Whittington | ||
| 1988 | Child's Play | Detective Mike Norris | |
| Goodbye, Miss Fourth Of July | George Janus | ||
| 1989 | Collision Course | Philip Mandras | |
| Slaves of New York | Victor Okrent | ||
| Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy | John Lenczowski | ||
| Forced March | Ben Kline | ||
| 1990 | The Stranger Within | Dan | |
| Whispers | Tony | ||
| 1991 | The Resurrected | Joseph Curwen Charles Dexter Ward | |
| 1993 | Dark Tide | Tim | |
| The Nightmare Before Christmas | Jack Skellington (voice) | Speaking voice | |
| 1994 | David's Mother | Philip | |
| 1995 | Just Cause | Lyle Morgan | |
| When the Dark Man Calls | Lloyd Carson | ||
| 1996 | Terminal Justice | Reginald Matthews | |
| No Greater Love | Sam Horowitz | ||
| Edie & Pen | Max | ||
| Bordello of Blood | Rev. J.C. Current | ||
| 1997 | American Perfekt | Deputy Sammy | |
| Road Ends | Esteban Maceda | ||
| 1998 | Little Men | Fritz Bhaer | |
| 1999 | Let the Devil Wear Black | Mr. Lyne | |
| 2000 | Race Against Time | Dr.Anton Stofeles | |
| Reaper | Luke Sinclair | ||
| 2001 | Perfume | Gary Packer | |
| 2005 | Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind | Kurotowa (voice) | English dub by Walt Disney Pictures; originally released in Japanese in 1984 |
| Loggerheads | Rev. Robert Austin | ||
| 2007 | The Chosen One | Zebulon 'Zeb' Kirk (voice) | |
| 2008 | My Sassy Girl | Dr. Roark | |
| 2010 | Multiple Sarcasms | Larry | |
| 2011 | Fright Night | "Jay Dee" | Cameo appearance |
| 2012 | Safe | Mayor Danny Tremello | |
| 2013 | Curse of Chucky | Detective Mike Norris | Archive footage |
| 2013 | Frank the Bastard | Tristan Pace | |
| 2014 | Big Stone Gap | Mario Barbari | |
| 2015 | I Smile Back | Roger |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969–1973 | Guiding Light | Dr. Tom Halverson | |
| 1978 | You Can't Go Home Again | George Webber | CBS TV movie based on the novel by Thomas Wolfe |
| 1980 | A Tale of Two Cities | Sydney Carton Charles Darnay | TV movie |
| 1993 | Picket Fences | Cole | Episode: "The Dancing Bandit" |
| 1994 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Martus Mazur | Episode: "Rivals" |
| 1995 | The Outer Limits | Dr. Pallas | Episode: "Corner of the Eye" |
| 1998 | The Practice | Dr Jeffrey Winslow | Episodes: "The Trial", "Cloudy with a Chance of Membranes" |
| Chicago Hope | Dr. Gordon Mays | Episodes: "Austin, We Have a Problem", "Wag the Doc", "Austin Space" | |
| 1999 | Felicity | Dr. Peter McGrath | Episodes: "Todd Mulcahy: Part 1", "Todd Mulcahy: Part 2", "Docuventary", "Connections", "The Force", "Felicity Was Here"[9] |
| 1999–2000 | Stark Raving Mad | Caesar Radford | Episodes: "Fish Out of Water" and "The Big Finish" |
| 2000–2002 | ER | Dr. Burke | Episodes: "The Greatest of Gifts", "Piece of Mind", "It's All in Your Head" |
| 2002, 2004 | Law & Order | Howard Pincham | Episode: "Gov Love" and "The Wheel" |
| 2002 | The Court | Justice Vorhees | 3 episodes |
| 2003 | The Wild Thornberrys | Myka (voice) | Episode: "Look Who's Squawking" |
| Skin | Mayor Coolidge | Episode: "Endorsement" | |
| Charmed | Necromancer Armand | Episode: "Necromancing the Stone" | |
| 2004 | Cold Case | Adam Clarke | Episode: "Volunteers" |
| 2005 | Danny Phantom | Matt (voice) | Episode: "Pirate Radio" |
| 2006 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Wesley Masoner | Episode: "Choreographed" |
| 2010 | Psych | Ashton Bonaventure | Episode: "Think Tank" |
| The Good Wife | Judge Howard Matchick | Episode: "Taking Control" | |
| 2016 | Orange Is The New Black | Kip Carnigan | Episode: "We'll always have Baltimore" |
| 2017 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Count Dracula (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2020 | Prop Culture | Himself | Episode: "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Kingdom Hearts | Jack Skellington (voice) | |
| 2005 | The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge | ||
| 2006 | Kingdom Hearts II | ||
| 2013 | Disney Infinity | ||
| 2013 | Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix | ||
| 2014 | Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix | ||
| 2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | [10] | |
| 2023 | Disney Dreamlight Valley |
Theme parks and live attractions
- Haunted Mansion Holiday – Jack Skellington
- Halloween Screams – Jack Skellington
- Frightfully Fun Parade – Jack Skellington
- Disney on Ice – Jack Skellington
Music videos
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | The Rose Tattoo | Jack Hunter | Broadway[1] |
| 1970 | The Rothschilds | Jacob Rothschilds | |
| 1971 | Two Gentlemen of Verona | Proteus | |
| 1977 | Marco Polo Sings a Solo | Tom Wintermouth | Off-Broadway[1] |
| 1978 | Broadway | Performer | Broadway[1] |
| 1979 | The Woods | Nick | Off-Broadway[1] |
| 1980 | Censored Scenes From King Kong | Benchgelter | Broadway[1] |
| 1985 | The Voice of the Turtle | Bill Page | Off-Broadway[1] |
| 1991 | Nick & Nora | Performer | Broadway[1] |
| 2005 | The Light in the Piazza | Signor Naccarelli | Broadway |
| 2007 | Cyrano de Bergerac | Comte de Guiche | Broadway Revival |
| 2011 | Through a Glass, Darkly | Performer | Off-Broadway |
| 2012 | The Exonerated | Karry Max Cook | Broadway |
| 2015 | Preludes | Chekhov, Tchaikovsky, Tolstoy, Glazunov, Tsar Nicholas II, The Master | Off-Broadway |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | NYFCC Award | Best Supporting Actor | Dog Day Afternoon | Nominated |
| Golden Globe | New Star of the Year – Actor | Nominated | ||
| 1976 | Academy Award | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated | |
| 1986 | Saturn Award | Best Actor | Fright Night | Nominated |
| 1992 | Chainsaw Award | Best Supporting Actor | The Resurrected | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Chris Sarandon Biography (1942-)". www.filmreference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "WHEN IT COMES TO FILMS, SARANDON IS JUST PLAIN PICKY". Sacramento Bee. August 4, 1985. Retrieved December 9, 2007.
- ^ "Woodrow Wilson High School, Beckley WV, Alumni Page". Jeff560.tripod.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
- ^ Laster, James H. "Slavet: Production Chronology". allaboutwayside.com. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
- ^ Eller, Charlotte J. (June 14, 1968). "'The Private Ear and The Public Eye' - An Evening of Superb Theater At Wayside". The Northern Virginia Daily. p. 8.
- ^ King, Susan (25 September 2015). "How Chris Sarandon looks at 'Dog Day Afternoon' 40 years later". latimes.com. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ Harding, Laura (16 February 2017). "Susan Sarandon says her sexuality is 'up for grabs'". Independent. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Simonson, Robert (July 9, 1988). "Joanna Gleason and Chris Sarandon Pluck L.A. Thorn & Bloom July 9". Playbill. Brightspot. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- ^ "Chris Sarandon". IMDb. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ Avalanche Software. Disney Infinity 3.0. Scene: Closing credits, 5:39 in, Featuring the Voice Talents of.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chris Sarandon.
- Chris Sarandon at IMDb
- Chris Sarandon at the Internet Broadway Database
- Chris Sarandon at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Chris Sarandon – Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org
- The West Virginia & Regional History Center at West Virginia University houses the papers of Chris Sarandon as a part of the Distinguished West Virginians Archive
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