About Chris Sarandon
Born 1942. Chris Sarandon is an American film actor, stage actor, television actor, voice actor, film producer and actor.
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. 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 films 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 film Lipstick (1976) and as a demon in the film 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 television film The Day Christ Died (1980). He received accolades for his portrayal of Sydney Carton in a TV-film version of A Tale of Two Cities (1980), co-starred with Dennis Hopper in the 1983 film The Osterman Weekend, which was based on the Robert Ludlum novel of the same name, and co-starred with Goldie Hawn in the film Protocol (1984). These were followed by another mainstream success as the vampire Jerry Dandrige in the horror film Fright Night (1985). He starred in the 1986 TV film Liberty, which addressed the making of the Statue of Liberty.
Chris Sarandon's other film roles include Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride (1987) and Mike Norris in 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 the animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), and has since reprised the role in other productions, including the video games Kingdom Hearts and The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge. Sarandon also reprised his role as Jack 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.
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 film The Thin Man) with Joanna Gleason, the daughter of Monty Hall. Sarandon married Gleason in 1994. They have appeared together in a number of films, 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 Tomalin on September 16, 1967; she took his surname and became Susan Sarandon. The two met while attending Catholic University of America together in Washington, D.C. The marriage lasted for twelve years; the pair separated in 1975 and divorced in 1979.
He married his second wife, fashion model Lisa Ann Cooper, in 1980. 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.
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 Hands Clean — Alanis Morissette
Awards and nominations +Awards and nominations Year Award Category Title Result 1975 NYFCC Award Best Supporting Actor Dog Day Afternoon Golden Globe New Star of the Year – Actor 1976 Academy Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role 1986 Saturn Award Best Actor Fright Night 1992 Chainsaw Award Best Supporting Actor The Resurrected
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Important facts
People in Chris Sarandon's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Chris Sarandon's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Chris Sarandon?
American actor
When was Chris Sarandon born?
Chris Sarandon was born on 24 July 1942 in Beckley.
What is Chris Sarandon's occupation?
Chris Sarandon is a film actor, stage actor, television actor, voice actor, film producer and actor.
What nationality is Chris Sarandon?
Chris Sarandon is American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Chris Sarandon. https://biography.guide/chris-sarandon/
MLA: "Chris Sarandon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/chris-sarandon/.
Chicago: "Chris Sarandon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/chris-sarandon/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence
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