Chris Sarandon ‘Almost Quit’ Acting After Experience with ‘Malevolent’ Director

Chris Sarandon is a seasoned actor best known for his roles in cult classics like The Princess Bride, where he played the villainous Prince Humperdinck, and as the voice of Jack Skellington in Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. 

With a career spanning decades across film, television and the stage, the 83-year-old has built a reputation for bringing complexity to a wide range of characters. 

In a recent interview with The Guardian, he reflected candidly on the highs and lows of his career. 

Among the most startling revelations was his experience filming 1977’s The Sentinel, a horror movie directed by the late Michael Winner, which Sarandon says nearly drove him to quit acting altogether.

“Michael Winner,” he groaned when the director got brought up. “Don’t get me started. I almost quit the business after that movie.”

Sarandon told the outlet that he found the British director to be unpleasant, even “malevolent” on set.

Although Sarandon often gravitated toward villainous roles for their mystery and allure, the horror film ultimately failed to resonate with audiences.

“That was one of those decisions when one thinks, ‘Oh, my name’s above the title and I’m being offered a ridiculous amount of money,’” he admitted.

Sarandon was also tempted by the opportunity to play the leading role of Michael Lerman, despite a questionable script. “So what if, halfway through the movie, my face cracks and I’ve become a demon? Or whatever the plot was – I’ve repressed it at this point.”

By the 1980s, Sarandon had found his sweet spot in the horror genre. Fright Night cast him as a magnetic vampire whose polished demeanor hides something far darker. 

The film’s playful nods to classic horror earned it cult status, and director Tom Holland would later bring Sarandon back for Child’s Play. 

Around the same time, he stepped into the role of Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride, creating a villain who was both cruel and strangely charismatic — fitting perfectly into the film’s witty take on familiar fairy tales.

However, Sarandon dealt with some financial woes in the late ’80s, leading him to accept roles in what he called “mortgage movies,” which paid the rent but didn’t wow audiences.

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Now, decades later, Sarandon appears content having stepped away from Hollywood, turning his attention to more personal passions.

One of them is his podcast, Cooking By Heart, where he invites guests to reflect on how food has shaped their lives.

“I have a beautiful home, and I live in … not splendor, but I have a huge garden,” he told The Guardian. “That’s my profession now: podcaster and gardener.”

Sarandon currently lives in Connecticut with his third wife, actress Joanna Gleason. The pair tied the knot back in 1994.

He also shares three children – two daughters and a son – with his second wife, model Lisa Ann Cooper. His first wife was the award-winning actress Susan Sarandon, 78.