Al Roker Praises Liberal Actress/Activist Susan Sarandon as a 'Good Role Model'

NBC "Today" show co-host and weatherman Al Roker invited on Susan Sarandon to promote her latest movie, Mr. Woodcock, but couldn’t get through the full interview without praising her liberal activism, as he called her a "good role model," and celebrated her "great job" of combining acting and protesting. For her part, Sarandon actually took a dig at NBC News on its own airwaves, on the Monday edition of "Today", as she wistfully recalled the good old days when "news programs" showed "what was going on, not like now."

The following is the relevant out-take from the Sarandon interview as it took place on the September 10, "Today" show:

Al Roker: "Well you know, you've had this great career, you do these great films and yet you also, you're able to combine that with, with, with activism. Is that just as important to you as, as a good script?"

Susan Sarandon: "You know, in my job, it's all about imagination, imagination leads to empathy and empathy leads to activism. So I mean, I was, I came of age at that time when, you know, I was in D.C. growing up and you know if you had half-a-brain in your head and half-a-heart you were active, so it's nothing that started recently. It's just that people now, either hate me for it or like me for it, but it's because now people notice me, specifically. But it's something, I think, you know my generation, I'm so much older than you."

Roker: "Oh hardly."

Sarandon: "But in the late '60s, early '70s, you know, you felt you could change things. You stopped a war that, you know, there was segregation in the South. I mean, you had news programs, that you actually saw what was going on, not like now where you don't see things that are happening and, so you know, it made perfect sense that you thought you could change things and you had a responsibility to do that and I hope my kids feel the same way. You know I'm just doing what Americans are supposed to do, just being a human being, that's all."

Al Roker: "Well they've got a good role model."

Sarandon: "Thanks."

Roker: "And you've done a great job of combining the two."

Sarandon: "Thanks."

Roker: "Susan Sarandon, thanks so much."