Speaking out against the Iraq war left the Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon and her family facing death threats and a stream of vicious attacks from the public and the media, she reveals today.

Sarandon, who is hoping to play 'Peace Mom' Cindy Sheehan in a film about the mother's protest over her son's death in Iraq, said she feared for her safety because of the 'horrifying' way in which she was targeted by newspapers, radio phone-ins and people in the street.

In an interview on the Jonathan Dimbleby Programme that will be aired on ITV1 today, she said her stance meant she was labelled a 'Bin Laden Lover'. 'The papers attacked my kids,' she said. 'I don't think I ever thought that someone would really kill me... although some said, "I'd like to knock her off," on the radio.'

Sarandon said she was a New Yorker who was heavily affected by 11 September 2001 but she attacked George Bush for 'hijacking' it. 'I was here, I saw the buildings go down, my kids were in school, I rounded them up through the smoke. I had friends on that first plane, you know it certainly affected everybody in this city.'

But she said that every time anything happened the Republicans would 'try to play that card' and criticised the Democrats for failing to stand up to Bush. 'There was no reason for Hillary Clinton, for instance, to vote (for the war), for John Kerry to vote, they were protecting their reputations. They crumbled under the pressure and it was a very lonely, very scary time to ask a question. That's a horrible condition to exist in a democracy.'

Hillary Clinton, added Sarandon, lacked principles. 'I think she's a politician like everyone else.'