The Spanish Film Academy has awarded its 2026 International Goya to New York-born actress Susan Sarandon, who follows in the footsteps of the likes of Cate Blanchett, Juliette Binoche, Sigourney Weaver and Richard Gere since these honours were established in 2022.
Sarandon will also take part in the 40th edition of the flagship awards of Spain’s audiovisual sector, in a ceremony to be held at the Auditori of the Centre de Convencions Internacionals de Barcelona on Saturday 28 February.
At 79, the actress has garnered five Oscar nominations and one win for her role as a nun in ‘Dead Man Walking’, in which she forges a friendship with a death-row inmate played by Sean Penn. Sarandon was also BAFTA nominated for ‘The Client’, won five Emmy nominations and has recorded nine Golden Globe nods.
In addition to those honours, the San Sebastián Film Festival also celebrated her career with a lifetime recognition award in 1995.
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The Spanish institution has also praised the artist’s ‘political and social’ commitment, indisputably one of the most outspoken figures in Hollywood, alongside Jane Fonda and Spain’s Javier Bardem.
“Sarandon, long regarded as a forceful presence, gravitated from the start of her career in the 1970s towards roles that reflected that and made it a point not to repeat herself, seeking variety,” the Academy said in a statement.
At the very start of her career, Sarandon agreed to play the (not-so) naive Janet Weiss in the film adaptation of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’: a leading, risky role in the quintessential cult musical that could have ended her career.
For some, however, she is best known as one half of the outlaw duo in ‘Thelma & Louise’, which has left us all with unforgettable cinematic scenes – spoiler alert – such as the climatic end as she and Geena Davis clasp hands and drive off a cliff in their convertible.
Her most recent major role came on television with creator Ryan Murphy, who asked her to play the legendary Bette Davis in ‘Feud’, a story that unpacks her rivalry with Joan Crawford, threaded through the making of ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?’.
“She is one of the most prominent actresses in Hollywood cinema: with a filmography that spans a host of undeniable masterpieces, iconic films that have entered popular culture, and cult gems remembered by cinephiles worldwide,” the Academy concluded.