Hollywood has a way of burying its most interesting secrets in plain sight. For thirty years, nobody really talked about the time David Bowie and Susan Sarandon were a thing. It wasn't a PR stunt. It wasn't a "shipped" couple on Twitter. Honestly, it was just a quiet, intense connection between two people who happened to be at the top of their game in 1983.
They met on the set of The Hunger. If you haven't seen it, it's this stylish, incredibly moody vampire flick directed by Tony Scott. Bowie played a vampire who was rapidly aging—basically crumbling into dust—while Sarandon was the doctor trying to figure out what the hell was going on with him. Off-camera? They were having a full-blown affair.
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The Hunger Years: A Love Story in 1983
It’s kind of wild to think about now. 1983 was the year of "Let’s Dance." Bowie was arguably the biggest rock star on the planet. Sarandon was already an established force, having done The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Atlantic City. She’d divorced Chris Sarandon a few years prior and wasn’t exactly looking for a husband.
In a 2014 interview with The Daily Beast, Sarandon finally let the cat out of the bag. She described Bowie as "extraordinary" and "worth idolizing." High praise from someone who doesn't strike me as the type to gush over celebrities.
They weren't just two pretty people in a trailer. Sarandon has talked about how bright he was. A painter. A thinker. He wasn't just a "rock star" to her; he was a polymath. Their chemistry in the movie is palpable, but the real-life version was apparently much more grounded than the gothic horror they were filming.
Why It Didn't Last
You’ve probably wondered why they didn’t become the ultimate 80s power couple. It basically came down to the "kids" conversation.
Sarandon is the oldest of nine children. She’d been "mothering" her siblings her whole life and, at that point, she didn't think she wanted children of her own. Bowie, however, was in a different headspace. He already had his son, Duncan Jones (then known as Zowie), and he eventually wanted more family life.
"I wasn’t ever in a mode where I was looking to settle down and raise a family," Sarandon told the press.
That difference in trajectory is what ultimately pulled them apart. It wasn't a dramatic blowout or a betrayal. It was just life. Not long after, Sarandon met Franco Amurri and had her first daughter, Eva Amurri, in 1985. It’s funny how life works; she went from "not wanting kids" to having three. Bowie, of course, eventually met Iman in 1990—the woman Sarandon herself called his "equal in stature."
That Final, Eerie Phone Call
The most bittersweet part of the David Bowie and Susan Sarandon story isn't the breakup. It's how it ended decades later.
They stayed friends. Real friends. When Bowie was privately battling liver cancer in late 2015, he reached out to her. Sarandon has shared a story that feels like something out of a movie script. She was on the Greek island of Lesbos, helping with the refugee crisis. She was exhausted and had taken Ambien to try and get some sleep.
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She had this vivid "dream" that David called her. They talked. They said the things that needed to be said.
When she woke up, she wasn't sure if it actually happened. She checked her phone log. He had called. But because of the sleep aid, she couldn't remember the specifics of what they talked about. He died just a week later.
Can you imagine that? The frustration of knowing you had one last heart-to-heart with a legend—an old flame—and the details are just out of reach.
What Most People Get Wrong
People tend to lump this into "celebrity flings," but it was deeper. Sarandon has often defended Bowie's character, especially when people tried to paint him as just another eccentric artist. She saw the work ethic. She saw the painter.
Also, it’s worth noting that their relationship happened during a time of massive transition for both. Bowie was shedding his "Scary Monsters" skin and becoming a global pop icon. Sarandon was transitioning into the legendary leading lady she became in the late 80s and 90s. They were two meteors passing each other.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you're looking to understand the vibe of David Bowie and Susan Sarandon during this era, don't just read the headlines.
- Watch The Hunger (1983): Look past the vampires. Watch the way they look at each other in the clinic scenes. That's not just acting; that’s two people who are very, very "into" each other.
- Listen to Let's Dance through a different lens: Bowie was recorded as being incredibly happy and "present" during this era. Knowing he had this intellectual and romantic connection with someone like Sarandon adds a layer to that 1983 confidence.
- Check out the 2006 Metropolitan Opera photos: There are shots of them together decades later. You can see the genuine affection. It’s a masterclass in how to stay friends with an ex.
- Read Sarandon's 2014 interview with Marlow Stern: It’s the most candid she’s ever been about the relationship.
Their story is a reminder that some of the best Hollywood romances aren't the ones on the cover of People magazine for ten years. Sometimes, it’s just two brilliant people finding each other at the right moment, making some art, and then having enough respect to let go when the timing isn't right anymore.
The legacy of the David Bowie and Susan Sarandon relationship isn't a "what if." It's a "thank god it happened." It shaped two of the most influential performers of our time during one of their most creative decades.