Missy Tomalin is the younger sister of American actress Susan Sarandon. Her full first name is Melissa, and she has also been identified as Missy Tomalin Hier.
Unlike her famous sister, Missy did not build a career in Hollywood. She has worked as a hairstylist and has mostly kept her personal life private. She is married and has two children, Tucker and Nora.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Melissa “Missy” Tomalin |
| Also known as | Missy Tomalin Hier |
| Date of birth | Not publicly confirmed |
| Nationality | American |
| Parents | Phillip Leslie Tomalin and Lenora Marie Criscione Tomalin |
| Famous sister | Susan Sarandon |
| Siblings | Eight |
| Profession | Hairstylist |
| Reported workplace | Ronnie Elias Salon |
| Marital status | Married, according to reports |
| Children | Tucker and Nora |
| Grandchildren | At least one |
| Known for | Being Susan Sarandon’s younger sister |
| Net worth | Not reliably known |
Early Life
Missy’s exact date and place of birth have not been publicly confirmed.
She grew up as one of nine children in the Tomalin family. Her parents originally lived in the New York area before the growing family settled in Edison, New Jersey.
The children were raised in a Catholic household.
Susan has said that their parents came from smaller families and sometimes found raising nine children difficult.
The siblings also spent time swimming at Woodside Swim Club in New Jersey.
Her Parents
Missy’s parents were Phillip Leslie Tomalin and Lenora Marie Criscione Tomalin.
Lenora was a devout Catholic. Religion played an important part in how she raised her children.
Phillip moved the family from New York to New Jersey as the number of children grew. Susan later explained that her father wanted to give the family a life outside New York City.
Missy Tomalin’s Eight Siblings

Missy has eight siblings. They are:
- Susan Sarandon
- Phillip Leslie Tomalin Jr.
- Tim Tomalin
- Terry Tomalin
- O’Brian Tomalin
- Meredith “Merry” Tomalin
- Bonnie Tomalin
- Amanda Tomalin
The family includes four brothers and five sisters in total.
Several members of the Tomalin family later worked in creative fields.
Phillip Jr. worked behind the scenes in film. O’Brian became a writer. Terry built a career in journalism. Meredith worked in hairstyling before later moving into other fields, including floristry.
Her Relationship With Susan Sarandon
Susan is the oldest of the nine Tomalin children.
Because there was a large age difference between the oldest and youngest children, Susan helped look after her younger brothers and sisters.
She has said that several of her siblings viewed her as a mother figure.
Susan also said that having responsibility for younger siblings helped her become more organized.
Although the siblings later moved to different parts of the country, Susan has spoken about how family members continued helping one another.
Who Is Susan Sarandon?
Susan Sarandon was born on October 4, 1946, in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York.
She became an internationally known actress through a career covering film and television.
Her best-known movies include The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Atlantic City, Thelma & Louise, The Client, Lorenzo’s Oil, and Dead Man Walking.
Susan won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Dead Man Walking. She has also received other major acting honors and several Academy Award nominations.
Missy did not follow Susan into acting.
Education
Missy Tomalin’s detailed education history has not been publicly documented.
The Tomalin children were raised Catholic, and family accounts say the boys and girls attended separate Catholic schools while growing up.
There is no reliable public information confirming Missy’s college education or professional hairstyling training.
Missy Tomalin’s Career
Missy chose a career outside the entertainment industry.
She has been reported to work as a hairstylist.
A 2023 profile about Susan Sarandon’s siblings identified Missy as a hairstylist at Ronnie Elias Salon.
There is limited public information about the length of her career or other salons where she may have worked.
It is also unclear whether she still works at Ronnie Elias Salon in 2026.
Is Missy Tomalin Married?
Missy is reported to be married.
Some sources refer to her as Missy Tomalin Hier, which appears to be her married name.
However, reliable public information about her husband is limited. His full name, profession, and their wedding date are not clearly documented in stronger sources.
Missy has generally kept her marriage away from entertainment media.
Missy Tomalin’s Children
Missy is the mother of two children.
Her son is named Tucker, and her daughter is Nora Cotter Luhring.
People confirmed in its profile of Susan Sarandon’s siblings that Missy has a son named Tucker and a daughter named Nora.
In September 2021, Missy also shared a Facebook post celebrating her son and referred to him as her only son.
Who Is Nora Cotter Luhring?
Missy’s daughter, Nora Cotter Luhring, became a professional singer.
Nora is a soprano based in Northern Virginia.
She studied Vocal Performance at Virginia Tech and graduated cum laude. She later studied music education at George Mason University, completing her graduate studies in 2019.
Her performance experience has included the Wintergreen Music Festival, Druid City Opera Workshop, and a production of The Three Feathers at the Moss Arts Center.
Nora is married and has a daughter.
This also makes Missy a grandmother.
Her Son Tucker
Less is publicly known about Missy’s son, Tucker.
People confirms that Tucker is one of her two children.
Missy has also mentioned him on her personal Facebook account, including a birthday-related post in September 2021.
His age, education, career, and current activities are not widely documented.
Her Brother Terry Tomalin
One of Missy’s brothers, Terry Tomalin, built a well-known career in outdoor journalism.
Terry graduated from the University of South Florida in 1984. He later worked for the Tampa Bay Times, where he spent more than 25 years as an outdoors editor.
His work involved fishing, boating, travel, and other outdoor subjects.
Terry married Kanika Tomalin in 1999. They had two children, Kai and Nia.
He died from a heart attack on May 19, 2016, at age 55. He collapsed while taking part in lifeguard training with his then-14-year-old son Kai.
The Large Tomalin Family
Susan Sarandon and her eight siblings went on to build a large extended family.
People reported that Susan and her siblings have 24 children combined.
Susan herself has three children: Eva Amurri, Jack Henry Robbins, and Miles Robbins.
Missy has two children, while several of her other siblings also became parents.
Members of the extended family have continued to gather for important events. In June 2024, relatives gathered in New York’s Hudson Valley for Eva Amurri’s wedding to chef Ian Hock.
Available reporting does not clearly confirm whether Missy personally attended the wedding.
What Happened to Missy Tomalin?
There is no reliable report that anything unusual happened to Missy Tomalin.
She simply lives a much more private life than Susan Sarandon.
Her most clearly reported profession is hairstyling, and she has focused on her family rather than building a public entertainment career.
Because Missy rarely appears in celebrity news, there is limited current information about her work and daily life.
Her exact activities in 2026 have not been publicly confirmed.
Public Appearances
Missy is not known for making regular red-carpet appearances.
Most public information about her comes from profiles about Susan Sarandon’s large family and from occasional personal social media posts.
She does not have known acting credits or another major public entertainment career.
Social Media
Missy has used Facebook to share personal and family updates.
Her posts have included messages about her children.
However, her social media presence appears to be personal rather than a large public celebrity account.
There is no widely recognized verified public social media profile associated with her.
Missy Tomalin’s Net Worth
Missy Tomalin’s personal net worth is not reliably known.
There is no dependable public information showing her income, property, investments, or total wealth.
Specific net worth figures found on biography websites should not be treated as confirmed.
Interesting Facts
- Her full first name is Melissa, but she is commonly called Missy.
- She has also been identified as Missy Tomalin Hier.
- She is one of Susan Sarandon’s eight siblings.
- Her parents were Phillip Leslie Tomalin and Lenora Marie Criscione Tomalin.
- She grew up in a family of nine children.
- The family settled in Edison, New Jersey.
- Susan was the oldest sibling and helped care for the younger children.
- Missy did not follow Susan into acting.
- She has worked as a hairstylist.
- She has been connected with Ronnie Elias Salon.
- Missy is reported to be married.
- She has two children, Tucker and Nora.
- Her daughter Nora Cotter Luhring is a soprano.
- Nora studied at Virginia Tech and George Mason University.
- Missy is also a grandmother.
- Her exact birth date and age have not been publicly confirmed.
- She keeps most of her personal life outside the public spotlight
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