Chris Sarandon ( sə-RAN-dən; born July 24, 1942) is an American actor. He is well known for playing Jerry Dandrige in Fright Night (1985), Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride (1987), Detective Mike Norris in Child's Play (1988), and Jack Skellington's speaking voice 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).
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Early life
Christopher Sarandon was born on July 24, 1942 and raised in Beckley, West Virginia, the son of Greek-American restaurateurs Cliffie (née Cardullias) and Chris Sarandon. His father, whose surname was originally Sarondonethes (Greek: Σαραντονίδης, romanized: Sarantonídis), was born to Ottoman Greek parents in Istanbul.
Sarandon graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley. He earned a degree in speech at West Virginia University, and 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. In the summer of 1968 he and his then-wife, Susan Sarandon, worked as actors at the Wayside Theatre in Middletown, Virginia. 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.
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 had two daughters and one son. After nine years, the marriage ended in divorce in 1989.
In 1994, he married his third wife, actress and singer Joanna Gleason. 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. 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
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
