Box-office success needed to encourage women helmers: Sarandon

Kathmandu: Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon feels Hollywood will become more receptive to women directors if their films start making money at the box-office.

"That could happen if they make money with their films. That's the bottomline. The recent films that I have done are directed by women. They are low budget and then they sell," Sarandon told PTI in an interview here. Recently, a prominent rights organisation demanded investigation into Hollywood's hiring practices, alleging the industry is biased against women directors.

When asked if Hollywood can ever do away with bias against women filmmakers, Sarandon, 68, said currently it is difficult to convince producers to put money on an actress or a woman director.

"I just did four films with women directors. But there are less women directors (in Hollywood). The thing is if a woman can make a film, which stars a man, she can see herself in that part, she can imagine herself being the hero, she can imagine herself being the leader.

"But a man can't imagine himself in a woman's part. I don't know why but I don't think they do. So it is very difficult to convince a studio executive and most of them are men, to do a film that stars a woman or do a film where a woman is interpreting that film. I think they just don't get it," said the actress.

The "Atlantic City" star said gender does not certify talent and a film should be judged on its merit rather than on the basis of the sex of its director.
"There's nothing in a gender that says a man makes better films or a woman makes worse films or the opposite. There are bad women directors just like there are bad men directors."

Actress Emily Blunt revealed at the recently concluded Cannes International Film Festival that she almost lost her role in her upcoming film "Sicario" as the producers wanted the character to be a male.

When asked her take on it, Sarandon quipped, "Well I hope it was a good part because there are a lot of men's roles I wouldn't want." The Hollywood star said it is important for actresses to look for great roles than just go after men's characters.

"Just because there are a lot of those parts does not mean they all are great. So you need to find what you really believe in and what you want to do," she said.

Sarandon, who won the best actress Oscar for her role in "Dead Man Walking", is one of the most recognised actresses in Hollywood. Her famous screen outings include hits like "Bull Durham", 'A Dry White Season", "White Palace", "Thelma & Louise", "Step Mom" and "The Client" among others.

The actress is known for her various charitable endeavours. She is currently on a week-long trip to Nepal to inaugurate homes for the victims of the recent earthquake.