Susan Sarandon’s Siblings Looked To Her as a ‘Mother Figure’ – Facts about Them

As the oldest of nine siblings, Susan Sarandon recalled shouldering a lot of responsibility. However, the actress revealed that stepping up as a big sister prepared her for show business and that she can still count on her brothers and sisters.

Susan Sarandon grew up in a home with parents and eight siblings in New York. The actress recalled being a little girl who somehow got on everyone’s nerves before stepping up and looking after her younger siblings.

Now, Susan Sarandon’s brothers and sisters are all grown up. Some have married and started families, while others followed in their older sister’s footsteps.

Growing up, the only type of vacation Susan’s parents could afford was camping trips in the wilderness of New York and New Jersey. These trips inspired her late brother Terry’s love of the outdoors.

He was a renounced outdoorsman who once lived with witch doctors in the wilds of Amazonia, sailed to Cuba, swam around Key West, and always found time to go fishing, even if it was at 4 a.m. before work as an outdoors editor.

Sadly, in 2016, when Terry was 55, he traveled to the North Shore Aquatic Center in St. Petersburg with his then 14-year-old son Kai when he suffered a heart attack and died. A few years after his death, a memorial site of Terry’s favorite 20-foot Old Town wooden canoe was set up in his honor. His wife said:

“We are devastated. He loved us. He loved his family so much, and we loved him.”

While his big sister made a name for herself in front of the camera, Phillip L. Tomalin Jr. has spent many years behind it as an additional crew member.

Since furthering his education at Windham College and Hudson University, Phillip has worked behind-the-scenes on “Thelma & Louise,” co-starring his older sister and Geena Davis, “Storyville” starring James Spader, and much more.

In 2022, Phillip revealed that he needed a liver transplant for undisclosed health reasons and commemorated the day he received a call with good news. He turned to Facebook and shared:

“2018, on this date, it was a Tuesday. I was sitting here trying to think of what I needed to pack as I just got a call to come to Mount Sinai that they had a new liver for me. My cats were wondering what was up.”

A few months after receiving his liver transplant, Phillip shared that he had “‘help me, I fall, and I can’t get up’ buttons” whenever he needed assistance and humorously recalled one of his false alarms.

Unlike some of her siblings, Meredith does not lead a life in the public eye or film industry. She worked as a professional hairstylist and designer in Virginia for thirteen years before gaining experience as a hostess at Sierra Grille, a restaurant, for nearly a decade.

Meredith also worked as a real estate agent for three years in Florence, Massachusetts, before her career changed when she ventured into floristry.

Since 2019, she has held the position of Floral Designer and Manager at a floral boutique in Massachusetts. Outside of her professional life, Meredith has been in a relationship with her husband, Jon Carroll, for over ten years. The couple tied the knot in September 2001.

In 2014, Susan opened up about what it was like to be the eldest of nine siblings and revealed that while the role came with great responsibility, it was for the best. She revealed:

“Being at the top, I had a lot of responsibility, which was a good thing, as I tended to be spacey and always daydreaming.”

The actress’s younger siblings include O’Brian Tomalin, who has worked as a writer in the film industry since the 1970s. His earliest credit came in 1976 when he co-wrote “Acapulco Gold,” starring Marjoe Gortner, Robert Lansing, and Ed Nelson.

The following year, O’Brian wrote “Dogs,” which saw David McCallum take the lead in the film about a pack of canines that set out on a wild killing spree.

Like his sister Meredith, O’Brian is a jack of many trades, and his work experience includes owning a restaurant. Aside from being a talented writer and restaurant owner, O’Brian is also a family man. He and his wife, Meghan Tomalin, are proud parents.

Susan’s sister, Missy Tomalin Hier, is a hairstylist at Ronnie Elias Salon. Although she comes from a big family, Missy is only a mother to two children. The hairstylist and her husband welcomed their daughter Nora Cotter Luhring and their son.

In honor of her son’s birthday in September 2021, Missy turned to Facebook and wrote, “A day late! My one and only handsome son! Happy national sons day!”

Bonnie is another of Susan’s siblings who did not pursue a profession in the public eye. Instead, she works at the New Brunswick City Government after furthering her education at Marymount University.

In 1970, Bonnie’s parents announced she was engaged to William Joseph Lyons. Bonnie and her fiancé attended high school and college together, and he later enlisted in the army.

According to her older sister, Bonnie’s parents came from small families and were “overwhelmed” by caring for many children. Susan and Bonnie’s father passed away at 82, and while speaking about her relationship with her mother, the actress said:

“I didn’t have a good relationship with my mom, but I think it would kill her if I went into it.”

In 2011, Susan’s sister Amanda, who furthered her education at Pace University and Post University, suffered losing a loved one after her husband died following a battle with cancer.

Amanda’s late husband, Bob Sherman, was the vice president of the New York radio station WNBC in the late 1970s and ’80s and was renowned for turning the radio station around by hiring the legendary broadcaster and media personality Howard Stern. Little is known about Amanda’s life besides that she and Bob shared children.

Since going from a “spacey and always daydreaming” young girl to an award-winning actress, Susan Sarandon revealed that although her siblings are scattered across the country, she can still count on them to watch her children when she works the same way they count on her. The “Stepmom” star revealed:

“Most of my brothers and sisters have told me that they looked to me as a mother figure.”

Another member of the large Tomalin family is Tim. Like most of his siblings, little is known about Tim’s life. According to his Facebook page, he has been a student at Kent State University since 1967, two years after he met his wife, Christine Fedorka Tomalin.