[Advanced] The Staying Power of Susan Sarandon (2)

Rising star Brit Marling (Sound of Her Voice) plays Sarandon's character's daughter in Arbitrage, and marvels at this "force of nature" she got to share scenes with.

"The test of any scene with any actor is 'How much can you live in this imaginary reality?' Are you there 50 per cent, 60 per cent? Acting with Susan, who is so there, so present and her character is so crackling with life that if anything is distracting you in the least, just looking at her will pull you right back into the moment."

Sarandon shrugs off such praise.

"Actors should just act, do what's fun, do stage, TV, film, whatever interests you. When you see yourself as a character actor, it's easy to see yourself as Jason Segel's mum or Richard Gere's wife.

Smaller films, which she mixes in with studio productions, allow her to "push the envelope, in terms of my ego, and have the opportunity to work with people I don't know.

"Every film can be a re-boot of who you think you are, if you think of it that way. The worst thing that can happen to you is that you get complacent."

14:25 

Marling says she grew up admiring Sarandon both as an actress “and as a human being.” Sarandon is still as well-known for her activism as her acting. So while this year alone, she played the frustrated mother of Ed Helms and Jason Segel in “Jeff, Who Lives at Home,” mothered Adam Sandler in “That’s My Boy” and co-starred with Frank Langella in the wistful sci-fi comedy “Robot & Frank,” her passion remains her causes.


14:58
Her passion remains her causes.

“Returning veterans are my biggest concern, right now,” she says. “I always am involved in anti-poverty issues and fighting child prostitution - the Somaly Mam Foundation is what I have been supporting. I’ve been to Cambodia with my daughter, working with Somaly.

Notes and Vocabulary

push the envelope (idiom)
to go further than the usual limits by doing something new or dangerous 
挑戰極限
- Joe pushed the envelope when he decided to climb up Mount Everest.

Discussion Questions
- Why is it difficult for many older actresses to find good roles?
- Which do you tend to enjoy more: smaller, independent films or larger, studioproductions? Give an example.


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