The American actress Susan Sarandon, winner of the 1996 Oscar for The Last Steps of a Man, maintains a strong connection with Sicily, southern Italy.
The artist's family origins date back to the city of Ragusa, from where his maternal grandfather, Giuseppe Cascione, left for the United States at the beginning of the 20th century.
Italian ancestry
Susan Abigail Tomalin – your registered name – was born on October 4, 1946, in New York. She is the daughter of Lenora Marie Criscione, of Italian origin, and Phillip Leslie Tomalin, of English, Irish and Welsh ancestry.
Her maternal grandfather, Giuseppe Cascione, was born in Ragusa and immigrated to the United States around 1916, at the age of 15. There, he married Anita Rigali, the daughter of Italian immigrants from the Tuscany region, more precisely from the province of Florence. Together, they had Lenora, the actress's mother.
Connection with Ragusa
In several interviews, Susan Sarandon has stated: “My grandfather was from Ragusa, so I go to Sicily when I can. I am Sicilian on my father’s side. My grandmother was from the Florence area. I don’t speak Sicilian, but I eat like the Sicilians.”
The actress first visited Ragusa in 2006, when she received the award Ragusani in the World and honorary citizenship of the city. During the visit, he met up with relatives, photographed his grandfather's house and was moved to tears as he walked through the streets of the city where his story began.
Search for Italian citizenship
At the time, even though she had received honorary citizenship of Ragusa, Susan Sarandon publicly expressed her desire to obtain Italian citizenship by right of blood (jure sanguinis). The claim would be based on maternal line descent — which, in the case of births before January 1, 1948, requires legal action in Italy.
Despite public statements, there are no official records indicating that the actress has initiated the process of obtaining Italian citizenship or has obtained such recognition to date.
Sarandon said she wants to keep this connection with Italy alive and pass on this cultural legacy to her children.
Pride of roots
On several occasions, he has highlighted that his cultural background is strongly influenced by the values inherited from his Italian family, such as authenticity, social commitment and a sense of truth.
“I teach my children not to seek success like fame and money, but to live authentically,” he declared.
This article is part of the series “Made in Italy: World Stars”, in Italianism, celebrating international personalities with Italian roots.
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