His film career commenced with the role of Leon, the male lover and for whom Al Pacino's Sonny robs a bank to finance a sex change operation. While Sarandon had a mere 11 minutes of screen time, he was memorable, but his lost the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to sentimental favorite George Burns. He followed with a turn as the despicable musician-rapist in "Lipstick" (1976), but other strong roles were scarce. One of his best roles was as a suave vampire in Tom Holland's "Fright Night" (1985) and he was also effective as the cop investigating a series of murders in Holland's thriller "Child's Play" (1988). He provided the speaking voice of Jack Skellington in "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993) and appeared in a supporting role in "Just Cause" (1995). He followed with a turn in "Tales From the Crypt Presents: Bordello of Blood" (1996).
Sarandon began in TV-movies with a bit part in the comedy "Thursday's Game" (ABC, 1974) and had his first substantial role playing the Thomas Wolfe-character in the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" adaptation of the author's "You Can't Go Home Again" (CBS, 1979). He played Jesus in the "The Day Christ Died" (CBS, 1980) and was Sydney Carton in the remake of "A Tale of Two Cities" (CBS, 1980). Sarandon played a juvenile court services director who cares too much in "Broken Promise" (CBS, 1981), was the Creature in CBS' 1986 version of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and the gent Sidney Biddle Barrows toys with in "Mayflower Madam" (CBS, 1987). In a role close to Sarandon's own background, he played the Greek immigrant father of Roxana Zal, living in rural West Virginia and coping with the Ku Klux Klan in "Goodbye, Miss Fourth of July" (Disney Channel, 1988).
From 1967 to 1979, Sarandon was married to actress Susan Sarandon (nee Tomalin), whom he met while attending Catholic University.