Having worked mainly in film the last decade, Suzanne Sadler’s professional career began on stage in plays and musical theater. An actor, producer, and director, Sadler studied at The Acting Studio in New York for several years with a protégé of Sanford Meisner. She is known for her dependability, versatility, and spontaneity when working on a character. Directors normally cast her in emotionally challenging roles requiring extreme dramatic depth, which she delivers. Fans know her as Laura in the comedy/drama Road of Bygones and as Edith in the horror/drama Below the Trees.
In the family drama, A Place Called Home, Sadler is Susan, the concerned grandparent of two children who have lost their mother during childbirth. Susan offers to help their father, Levi who must raise two young girls on his own. When forced to borrow money from a ruthless loan shark, Levi must fight to save his family and the home his family lived in.
Thank you for taking the time for this interview. Was there an actor or film that inspired you to become an actor?
Suzanne Sadler: I think it started when I was six years old. I was watching Gypsy with Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood. I was totally mesmerized by it.
Had you not become an actor, what career path would you have chosen?
Sadler: A lead singer in a rock n’ roll band (laughs). I used to sing. In my early twenties, I auditioned with a band in Colorado. I don’t know if they ever made it but they were really tight and really good. But singing has been a big part of my life.
What attracted you to this film and the role of Susan?
Sadler: It was the location because I’m based in Pennsylvania but I’m from Nashville, Tennessee. In the script, it talks about Susan and Adam going back to Tennessee to visit grandkids, so there was that connection. I also had an older brother who was not doing well and lives there. So I thought, I could combine the trip, visiting family and doing this film. Besides, I just felt that the role was perfect for me.
How did you prepare for the role? Do you have grandchildren of your own?
Sadler: I don’t have any grandchildren, just one young son. But just like any mother, you want them to find the right person to spend their life with. And I think Susan never did like Levi and never wanted her daughter to become involved with him. She blamed him for her daughter dying in childbirth.
Can you go into your favorite scene?
Sadler: It was when we were out on the deck and finished playing cards, the back and forth between Levi and myself. I felt that when we were shooting it, I had no preconceived notions. I wanted to react to what they were giving me. And I think it worked because I hadn’t planned on doing it a certain way. I just went with whatever I was feeling at the moment. Whenever you have a camera in your face, especially real closeups, you’re on and it’s pressure but I seem to be able to do what’s needed. It was more organic than other scenes.
When you audition, do you just send out a tape?
Sadler: Yes. That’s what’s been happening since the pandemic.
Do you prefer dramatic roles or comedy?
Sadler: I’ve always been cast as the drama queen. It’s not necessarily my preference because, in my everyday life, I’m known as funny and comical. I’ve only done one film where I was able to use that crazy side of me and it was great and it worked. So I would love to get more comedic parts.
What have you learned about being in this business that surprised you?
Sadler: How long I would be at it and how long I would want to be at it. How tough it is and how challenging it is. There’s so much competition. And you have to be able to handle the rejection. Sometimes, I take time off to get my bearings.
What advice would you give a young actor trying to break into the business?
Sadler: Don’t do it (laughs). If you’re looking for fame, don’t do it. It should be something that you viscerally have to do, want to do, and need to do. And don’t compare yourself with others. Each person has their own uniqueness, their own way of presenting characters. Use yourself. You are the character. And study, keep training, and find an acting class that’s supportive and not abusive. Be careful, there are a lot of scams. Keep your morals, keep yourself together, and go with your gut.
What were you like in high school? The girl most likely to…?
Sadler: The girl most likely to leave early, which I did (laughs). I was involved with my high school choir and did a lot of musicals.
