Susan Sarandon Portrays Melissa McCarthy's Sexy, Spunky and Boozy Granny in 'Tammy' as She Awaits Real-Life Grandparenting
Audiences have been wowed by the legendary Susan Sarandon's cinematic evolution, from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" to "Bull Durham" with Kevin Costner, "Thelma & Louise" with partner-in-crime Geena Davis (with whom she recently reunited), "The Banger Sisters" alongside fellow icon Goldie Hawn and her Academy Award-winning role in the 1995 film "Dead Man Walking," with Sean Penn.
Once again, Sarandon has proven her versatility and great sense of humor with her portrayal of Pearl, the sexy, spunky and boozy granny of Tammy (played by Melissa McCarthy) in the comedy "Tammy," which hits theaters July 2. At the "Tammy" premiere in New York, Sarandon spoke to Latin Post about her latest role.
In "Tammy," Pearl is an unconventional grandma. She was an Allman Brothers groupie, a thrill-seeker and a heavy drinker who just wanted to make a childhood dream of going to Niagara Falls come true, so she jumped on the opportunity to take off on a road trip with her hilarious granddaughter, Tammy, who is down on her luck. Can you blame her?
Despite wearing a gray wig and shabby clothes, Sarandon's natural sexiness shows in Pearl. Her character's age did inevitably creep up in the film, though the shots of Pearl's swollen ankles are courtesy of a "cankle" stunt double.
The 67-year-old actress didn't sport a granny bun or crocheted sweaters, but she told Latin Post that Pearl's high-waisted paints were a trip.
"Wearing very high jeans with elastic really takes you somewhere that I hadn't been to in a long time," she told Latin Post.
Saradon had a blast playing Pearl and recalled giggling while filming the car scenes and cracking up when she and McCarthy had paper bags over their heads during a scene after Tammy had robbed a greasy burger joint.
"We had a lot [of favorite scenes]; I don't know if there was one favorite scene," she explained. "We really had a good time. I think if you see in the movie, you can feel that we genuinely liked each other and that we genuinely had a good time.
"There was so much improvisation; it was always fresh and always new. [Director] Ben [Falcone] did a really great job of making us feel safe, so we could make big mistakes and not worry about it, which is a wonderful way to work."
The film has an impressive cast of "SNL" alums and other comedians, including Allison Janney ("The Help"), Gary Cole (TV's "VEEP"), Mark Duplass (HBO's "Togetherness"), Dan Aykroyd ("The Campaign") and Academy Award winner Kathy Bates ("Misery," "Midnight in Paris").
The lineup also includes Sandra Oh (TV''s "Grey's Anatomy"), Oscar nominee Toni Collette ("The Sixth Sense"), Nat Faxon ("Bad Teacher") and Ben Falcone ("Bridesmaids"), who made his directorial debut.
Casting Sarandon was a dream come true for McCarthy, who was "blown away" by the cast she and her husband, actor and director Falcone, recruited for the film. "I just thought you need somebody who is really kind of comfortable in their own skin," McCarthy told Latin Post. "We needed somebody sexy and somebody who could pull this off, and we thought Susan Sarandon."
In real life, Sarandon is getting amped up to become a first-time grandmother. She is reportedly taking a few weeks off to prepare for the birth of her first grandchild; her daughter, Eva Amurri Martino, is pregnant.
Sarandon wears a necklace bearing the word "honey," the "self-chosen nickname she wants her future granddaughter to call her instead of 'grandma,'" according to the New York Times.
"My hairstylist said it's a Southern thing, and I thought, that's kind of fabulous," she told the Times.
What is her daughter's take on her mom becoming a grandmother?
"My mom keeps on wanting to remind me, around every corner, that I have no idea what I'm getting into until the baby is born," Martino, 29, told the Times. "And I could throw that right back at her and say I really don't think she has any idea how it's going to feel to be a grandmother until she is one.
"My mom has definitely gone through many incarnations in her life, and I expect her to greet this new chapter with all the grace and humor that she has greeted other chapters," Martino added.
Sarandon also has two sons, Jack Henry Robbins, 25, and Miles Robbins, 22, from her longtime relationship with actor and director Tim Robbins.
Sarandon is planning to enjoy being a grandmother, and she hopes others will, too. When asked what she hopes people take away from the film, Sarandon said, "I hope they will take road trips with their children and their grandchildren."
Check out Latin Post's exclusive interview with Susan Sarandon, Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone below.