04/19/2025
In 1990, on the first day of filming "Thelma & Louise", Geena Davis arrived on set with a nervous thrill. She had been cast alongside Susan Sarandon in what would become a culture-shifting film, but she admitted in later interviews that she initially felt like “the junior partner” in the pairing. That feeling changed rapidly. In their first scene together, Davis accidentally flubbed a line. Before the director could even cut, Sarandon turned toward her, made a joke, and the entire crew laughed. Davis recalled, “Right then, I knew Susan had my back. It was immediate.”
Born on January 21, 1956, Geena Davis came into Hollywood through a winding road. After graduating from Boston University, she worked as a window mannequin before making her film debut in "Tootsie" in 1982. She would go on to win an Academy Award for "The Accidental Tourist" in 1988. Susan Sarandon, born October 4, 1946, had already built a reputation as one of the boldest actresses in the business. From "Atlantic City" in 1980 to "Bull Durham" in 1988, she carved her name into Hollywood by refusing to be conventional.
Their chemistry in "Thelma & Louise", released in 1991, came not from scripted perfection but a growing real-life friendship. During the shoot, both actresses had to advocate constantly for themselves. In one instance, Sarandon successfully fought to rewrite the film's ending without consulting the director, convinced that the story deserved a bolder, more poetic finale. Davis later shared, “Watching her push back, hold her ground with the crew and writers, it lit a fire in me. I had never seen a woman own a set like that.”
The film's iconic road trip became a reflection of their off-screen bond. In between takes, they often rode together, sharing stories, music, and laughter. Davis mentioned in a 2016 interview, “Susan played Aretha Franklin nonstop. She said, ‘We need some woman power on this ride.’” The movie became a phenomenon, and the image of them holding hands in the final moments was etched into pop culture. But it wasn’t only performance, it echoed a bond that was forming far from the cameras.
Their partnership created ripples that went far beyond the film industry. Davis, deeply influenced by Sarandon’s vocal advocacy, went on to launch the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media in 2004. She said, “If Susan hadn’t challenged directors and pushed for depth in characters, I might have never realized how far we had to go.” The two women remained close allies, appearing together at events, panels, and interviews where they reflected on their experience as transformative rather than nostalgic.
In 2016, when the cast reunited at a special screening in Toronto, they received a thunderous standing ovation. Sarandon leaned into Davis and whispered something that made them both laugh. Later, Davis revealed the joke: “She said, ‘Should we do the sequel in scooters this time?’” That single moment captured what they represented, camaraderie, resistance, and authenticity.
Sarandon had long been known for bringing intensity and fire to every role she took, but it was her off-screen persona, unapologetically political and vocal, that rubbed off on Davis most. On the set, Davis watched how Sarandon always knew every crew member’s name and would ask about their families. “It wasn’t showy, it was real,” Davis said. “She treated everyone like their voice mattered. That changed the way I approached people in this business.”
Their bond was tested when the studio briefly considered recasting one of the leads before filming. When Sarandon learned about it, she threatened to walk off the project. Davis only found out years later and was stunned. “She never told me. She protected me without making a show of it.”
From a single film, a lifelong connection formed, one that pushed boundaries, questioned norms, and set new expectations for female partnerships in Hollywood. Their story was not only about breaking cinematic rules, it was about what happens when two women refuse to compete and choose, instead, to rise together.
