Sarandon was born and raised in Beckley, West Virginia. He earned a degree in performing arts at West Virginia University. In 1968, Sarandon relocated to New York City, where he obtained his first television role as Dr. Tom Halverson for the series The Guiding Light before obtaining the role of Al Pacino’s wife 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 reprised his role as Jack Skellington in Disney Infinity, Disney Infinity 3.0, Disney Infinity Marvel Super Heroes, and Kingdom Hearts II video games. He has also made appearances in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, ER, The Wild Thornberrys, Felicity, Judging Amy, Charmed, Law & Order, Psych, The Good Wife, and most recently, on the Netflix hit Original Series Orange is the New Black.