Single Celebrities Who Rock (and Rule)!

By Terry Hernon MacDonald of singlewomenrule.com for Cupid's Pulse

A happy marriage may be among life's greatest pleasures, but there's a lot to be said for living single. For too long, single men and women have been portrayed as unlovable, irresponsible, selfish, or childish. (The media tend to portray single celebs in their 20s as sexy, but once she - and in this case, it's usually a she - turns 30, the question, "Is there anyone special in your life?" comes with increasing frequency and feigned concern.)

It's time to celebrate two unmarried women who make single living desirable, and they're both well over 30. If you're not there yet, they'll give you plenty to aspire to; if you are, they'll give you reasons to be cheerful.

Susan Sarandon

The young woman who played the grating but endearing Janet Weiss in The Rocky Horror Picture Show went on to draw acclaim for her performance in Atlantic City and ascended from there. She built a reputation for being the wise, sexy, and - later on - the older woman men find irresistible. (After 40, she solidified her status as a sex symbol - not a sex object - in Bull Durham and Thelma and Louise.)

And, while she's sexy, she's also one to beat the odds. According to IMDb.com, doctors Sarandon that she'd never have children. She had the last of three at 45. Today, she's 64, living on her own terms, having recently ended a 21-year relationship with Durham co-star Timothy Robbins.

Marisa Tomei

According to IMDd.com, this 46-year-old actress says of marriage, "I'm not that big a fan of marriage as an institution, and I don't know why women need to have children to be seen as complete human beings." Tomei does enjoy relationships, though, having dated many attractive men, most recently actor Logan Marshall-Green, who is 12 years her junior.

Since hitting it big in the 1992 comedy My Cousin Vinny (her performance was ridiculed by the likes of Charlie Sheen), Tomei earned considerable respect for her work in Welcome to Sarajevo and In the Bedroom. She garnered an Oscar nomination for The Wrestler in 2008 and will co-star with Kevin Bacon, Steve Carell, and Emma Stone in Crazy, Stupid, Love, due for release in April 2011.

While Tomei's acting made her famous, what we at SWR really love her for is her work on behalf of women's causes, most notably Equality Now.