Sarandon: 'Extraordinary' Bowie Was My Lover

American actress Susan Sarandon has revealed that she had a relationship with British pop star David Bowie.

The 67-year-old star of Thelma And Louise told the Daily Beast website that she and the musician got together in the early 1980s while they were making a film.

She had only positive things to say about Bowie and described the time they spent together as "a really interesting period".

"He's worth idolising. He's extraordinary," said Sarandon, who is publicising her new film The Last Of Robin Hood.

"(He's) just a really interesting person, and so bright. He's a talent, and a painter, and... he's great."

The pair got together while making the film The Hunger in 1983, but parted ways, she said, because she did not want children.

She told The Daily Beast said: "I wasn't supposed to have kids, and I'm the oldest of nine and had mothered all of them, so I wasn't ever in a mode to where I was looking to settle down and raise a family, so that definitely changes the gene pool you're dipping into."

The affair came during a busy period for David Bowie. He released his best-selling album Let's Dance in 1983, which was followed by the Serious Moonlight tour, which lasted six months.

In the same year, as well as The Hunger - a cult vampire film made by British director Tony Scott, which also featured Catherine Deneuve - he also made the British film Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence and comedy pirate flick Yellowbeard.

Sarandon had her first child in 1985 with Italian director Franco Amurri, whom she met on the set of Tempest in 1981 and started dating in 1984.

Sarandon had divorced her first husband actor Chris Sarandon in 1979. David Bowie split from his wife Angie in 1980.

Bowie later married model Iman, while Sarandon was with actor Tim Robbins for more than two decades, splitting in 2009.