Susan Sarandon has spoken of a sexual relationship she had with David Bowie just over 30 years ago, describing the singer as "worth idolising".

The Thelma and Louise co-star said they got together at around the time when both were working on the British horror film The Hunger.

"He's worth idolising. He's extraordinary. That was a really interesting period. 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 where I was looking to settle down and raise a family, so that definitely changes the gene pool you're dipping into," she said in an interview with The Daily Beast.

"But Bowie's just a really interesting person, and so bright. He's a talent, and a painter, and … he's great."

Sarandon married Chris Sarandon in 1967 and divorced 12 years later. She had a relationship with the actor Tim Robbins from 1988 to 2009 and has two sons with him. She has a daughter with the Italian film director Franco Amurri.

"But in terms of hooking up with movie stars, I got married really young, which knocked out most of my 20s to be fucking around. There have been a couple of famous, pretty interesting ones. One rock star, and another actor. But I'm pretty much a nester and tend to be monogamous," she said.

She also said she had "issues" with Woody Allen over his marriage to Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of his former partner Mia Farrow.

"I think he really tore that family apart in a way that was horrible, and hasn't really dealt with the aftermath. He's always had a reputation for being with younger girls, I mean younger girls. And also, that young woman was very vulnerable, and I think it was very hard for the siblings, and certainly for Mia. You just don't go there. You don't go there," she said.