Sally Field might be small, but she is mighty. She is equal parts cute – as demonstrated from her performances in Gidget and The Flying Nun – and feisty like her Norma Rae character and strong like the characters she played in Steel Magnolias and Places in the Heart. Let’s take a look through the life and career of this effervescent icon of the American cinema to see why we like her … we really like her.
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A true California girl, Sally Margaret Field was born in Pasadena on November 6, 1946. Her parents were Margaret Morlan Field and Richard Dryden Field, an Army veteran who served in World War II. Sally Field has one brother, Richard D. Field who is a doctor and a professor. Her parents divorced in 1950 when Sally was just six years old. Later, her mother remarried. According to her memoir that was published in 2018, Sally’s new stepfather, an actor and stuntman named Jock Mahoney, was sexually abusive to her throughout her childhood.
Sweet and Sassy Sally Field
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Sally Field was a cheerleader at both Portola Middle School and Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California. Petite and sassy, we are willing to bet that she was a flyer on the team. Undoubtedly, she looks sweet and sassy in her cheer uniform. Did you know she went to school with Cindy Williams who later starred in Laverne & Shirley? Other classmates of Sally’s at Birmingham High School included future financier Michael Milken and future talent agent Michael Ovitz.
Sally Field Joined the Drama Club to Escape the Drama at Home
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As a teenager, Sally Field’s home life was a mess. Her new stepfather was strict and quick to discipline Sally and her brother for the tiniest bit of disobedience. He and Sally’s mother fought more and more as the marriage became rockier. Sally avoided going home as much as she could and threw herself into extracurricular activities, so she had an excuse to stay at school longer. That’s how she first became interested in acting. In a later interview, Sally said, “I landed in the drama department, and it just kind of saved me.”
Sally Field's "Playboy" Experience Was Not What You Think
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Sally Field, wearing the iconic leotard and bunny ears of a Playboy bunny, graced the cover of the March 1986 cover of Playboy magazine. Now, before you go rummaging through your back issues in search of her centerfold spread, you should know that Sally did not appear as a pictorial subject in the issue. She was featured as an interview subject. While the cover photo was a bit of a tease, Sally merely answered questions and offered a bit of factoids about her life within the pages of the famous gentlemen’s magazine.
Sally Field Was TV's "Gidget"
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After her graduation for high school, Sally Field attended an acting workshop hosted by Columbia Studios. This was a turning point in her life. She did so well at the workshop that the studio cast her in the lead role in their new television series, Gidget, which was based on the 1959 feature film of the same name that starred Sandra Dee. With no prior professional acting experience and at only 18 years old, Sally Field starred in her own TV show, which debuted in 1965.
A Young Sally Field ... A Typical Cali Girl
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Petite Sally Field could easily play a younger girl. Although she was out of school at this point, she played a believable boy-crazy, surf-obsessed high school teen in Gidget from 1965 to 1966. Unfortunately, the show wasn’t a big success. The studio cancelled it after the first season. But perhaps their timing was just off. The studio broadcast reruns of the cancelled Gidget over the summer, and the show finally brought it decent ratings. It was a delayed success … but the show had already been cancelled so the studio opted not to resurrect it.
Sally Field Starred in Two TV Shows Before She Turned 20 Years Old
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ABC had cancelled Gidget, but they didn’t want to let their new teen starlet go. The studio quickly started shopping for a new starring show for Sally Field. They developed a strange new sit-com that mixed a bit of the supernature with a healthy dose of religion and added in some physics and comedy. The result was The Flying Nun, a show that focused on a diminutive novice nun who was so slim and tiny that she could harness the wind in her cornette and fly.
Even Sally Field Thought "The Flying Nun" Was Silly
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At first, Sally wanted to turn down The Flying Nun project because she thought the concept was too silly. And it was silly … the focus of the story was on a young, novice nun who used her new-found ability to fly to solve all her problems. But her stepfather warned her that if she turned it down, she may not get another offer from the studio. Between 1967 and 1970, Sally Field reluctantly played the lead role of Sister Bertrille in The Flying Nun.
Sally Field and Madeleine Sherwood in their Habits
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Sally Field’s first introduction to television, Gidget, was a positive experience. She later explained that she felt respected on the set of Gidget. It was a different experience with her second TV show, The Flying Nun. Sally recalled that she often felt humiliated on the set, especially when she had to dangle from a crane for the flying scenes. The show was the source of constant jokes from comedians and the press, and Sally felt the sting. She credited her co-star on the show, Madeleine Sherwood who played the Reverend Mother, with being an encouraging presence and for suggesting she enroll in acting lessons.
Young Sally Field in the 1960s
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Sally Field’s character in The Flying Nun was a story of a bad girl gone good. In the pilot for the television series, viewers learned that Sally’s character, Sister Bertrille, was a young girl from Chicago who has recently been arrested for participating in a free speech protest. She ignores the pressure from her family of high-achieving doctors to study medicine and announces that she wants to join a convent and dedicate herself to missionary work.
"The Flying Nun" ... It's All Basic Physics
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The Flying Nun was a nutty concept, but there was some sound physics behind it. In the show, other characters often noted that it was Sally Field’s small size – only 90 pounds – coupled with her oversize cornette and the strong ocean breeze that allowed her to fly, but as her character explained, there were other factors involved. Like physics. Sister Bertrille once explained, “When lift plus thrust is greater than load plus drag, anything can fly.”
Sally Field Was Typecast as the "Cute" Girl
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With her petite stature and apple cheeks, Sally Field was typecast as the typical girl next door. It was harder to find non-teen roles as she entered her twenties. She did play a young bride with ESP in the 1973 TV series, The Girl with Something Extra, opposite John Davidson, but the series was cancelled the following year. Sally Field knew that she had to do something if she hoped to outgrow her cutesy roles to become a serious actress. It was time for her to go back to the drawing board.
Sally Field, Ready to Revamp Her Image and Take More Dramatic Roles
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After the cancellation of her 1973-1974 television show, The Girl with Something Extra, Sally Field studied with renowned acting teacher Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in hopes of honing her acting chops and preparing for more challenging roles. Strasberg became Sally’s mentor. Under his guidance and tutelage, she expanded her skills as a performer, but more importantly, Strasberg helped her move beyond her former image. It took a little while before the studios took notice of her more mature image, but Sally finally got her chance to prove her chops.
Sally Field in "Sybil" in 1976
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Sally Field got the opportunity to show her true range as an actress when she was cast in the title role in the 1976 made-for-TV movie, Sybil. The television film was based on the popular novel by Flora Rheta Schreiber about a young woman suffering from dissociative identity disorder, or multiple personalities. For her first dramatic role, Sally was impressive. She demonstrated a tremendous range of emotions and won critical praise for her performance. Her role in Sybil earned Sally Field a 1977 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special Program. It also proved that she was ready for serious dramatic roles.
Sally Field Met Burt Reynolds While Filming "Smokey and the Bandit"
(reddit)Sally Field’s agent told her she needed to add a major movie role to her acting resume. That is the only reason she accepted the role of runaway bride Carrie is the 1977 film, Smokey and the Bandit, which starred Burt Reynolds, one of the hottest Hollywood heartthrobs of the 1970s, and comedian Jackie Gleason. Initially, Universal Studios didn’t want to cast Sally in the role, claiming that she was not attractive and sexy enough for the role. But Burt Reynolds went to bat for her and convinced the studio that she was right for the part.
Burt Reynolds and Sally Field Starred in Four Movies Together
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While filming the movie, Smokey and the Bandit, Sally Field and her co-star, the hunky Burt Reynolds, became romantically involved. They never married, but the couple had a high-profile relationship from 1976 to 1980. They took advantage of their on-screen chemistry to appear in four more movies together, Smokey and the Bandit II, The End, and Hooper. Although they broke up in 1980, they still continued with an on-again, off-again thing for two more years. In his 2015 memoir, Burt Reynolds wrote that he regretted not fighting harder to make his relationship with Sally Field work.
Raw and Gritty, Sally Field in "Norma Rae"
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Sally Field established herself as a serious dramatic actress by playing a tough and determined union organizer in the 1979 movie Norma Rae. Sally’s character, based on the real-life story of Crystal Lee Sutton, is a North Carolina mill factory worker with little formal education who goes up against the factory owners to unionize and push for better working conditions. In this role, Sally was raw and gritty and real. It was, for the first time, a role that didn’t depend on Sally’s cuteness.
Sally Field Was "Spectacular" In "Norma Rae"
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Sally Field’s portrayal of the title character in the 1979 film, Norma Rae, earned her critical praise and firmly established her as a dramatic actress. The New York Times called Sally’s performance “spectacular”. Sally was presented with the Best Female Performance Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and, later, a Golden Globe and a New York Film Critics’ Circle Award. Sally Field won her first Academy Award for Best Actress for Norma Rae. The film has also been selected for preservation by the National Film Registry because it has been deemed ‘culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant.”
"Places in the Heart" Earned Sally Field Her Second Oscar
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Sally Field was cast as a widowed Depression-era mother who has to fight to keep her farm, battle against racism, and raise her children with the help of an African-American farmhand in the 1984 film, Places in the Heart. Like Norma Rae, Sally’s role in Places in the Heart was not a glamorous one, but she demonstrated the strength, determination, and moral standard of her character. The movie was both a critical and commercial success, grossing nearly $35 million and collecting seven Oscar nominations. It won in two categories – Best Picture and Best Actress for Sally Field.
"You Like Me!" Gushed Sally Field While Accepting Here Oscar
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At the 57th Academy Awards presentation, Sally Field’s name was announced as the winner of the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Place in the Heart. It was Sally Field’s enthusiastic acceptance speech that made for a memorable pop culture moment. After thanking a few people, as is expected, Sally references her first Academy Award, saying, “The first time I didn’t feel it, but this time I feel it!” She concluded with the often quoted, “And I can’t deny the fact that you like me … right now … you really like me!” Sally’s words have been parodied ever since.
Sally Field Played a Hooker in "Back Roads"
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Sally Field truly cast off her former ‘girl next door’ image in the 1981 film Back Roads. In this movie, which also starred Tommy Lee Jones, Sally played a bristly, foul-mouthed prostitute turning tricks in Alabama. The movie was only a moderate success and the movie’s director, Martin Riff, blamed this on the ongoing conflict between Sally and Tommy Lee Jones. The two stars reportedly hated each other and had a difficult time working together. That could be why the scenes in which their two characters bicker and argue were so realistic.
Sally Field Cheesing With Arnold Schwarzenegger's Massive Biceps
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Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sally Field both appeared in the 1976 film, Stay Hungry. For Schwarzenegger, this role was typecasting. He played a bodybuilder – duh – who was training at an Alabama gym for an upcoming Mr. Universe competition. Sally Field played the receptionist at the gym. Although it was not his debut film, Schwarzenegger earned a Golden Globe for Best Acting Debut. Sally’s tiny stature served to enhance Schwarzenegger’s huge biceps.
In "Lincoln", Sally Field Played a Tormented First Lady
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Sally Field was open about her dislike of Tommy Lee Jones when they co-starred in the 1981 movie, Back Roads, but she announced on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on January 29, 2013, that several years after they filmed Back Roads, Jones approached her at an event and offered an apology. He apparently acknowledged that he was difficult to get along with in those days. Sally assured the show’s hostess, Ellen DeGeneres, that the two had reconciled and got along well when they appeared together in the 2012 movie, Lincoln. Without the tension between them, both Jones and Sally earned Oscar nominations for their supporting roles in Lincoln.
Sally Field Enjoyed Kissing James Gardner
(imbd) Director Martin Ritt, who worked with Sally Field on previous projects, had to fight with the execs at Columbia Pictures to get them to agree to make Murphy’s Romance starring Sally Field. Columbia Pictures didn’t think the movie would be a hit because it didn’t have sex and violence. Then once Ritt was able to convince the studio to make the film, he then had to fight to cast James Gardner as the male lead. Gardner had a healthy film career in the 1960s but had worked in television throughout the 1970s. Good thing he was finally cast in Murphy’s Romance. Sally Field said that her on-screen kiss with James Gardner was the best cinematic kiss she ever had.
Sally Field Headed an All-Star Cast in "Steel Magnolias"
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Sally Field led a star-studded female cast in the 1989 mega-hit Steel Magnolias. She was joined on screen by Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah, and Julia Roberts. The film, based on Robert Harling’s stage play of the same name, Steel Magnolias focuses on the strong bond between a group of women in a small Southern town who come together to cope with tragedy. It showed the power of a support system and the incredible strength of women. Sally’s character, M’Lynn, served as the matriarch of the group, although she was not the oldest.
Sally Field Played a Supporting Role to Robin Williams in "Mrs. Doubtfire"
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In 1993, Sally Field starred with the great Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire. In the film, Sally played Williams’ ex-wife and mother of his children. Desperate to spend time with his own children following his divorce, Williams dresses in drag and is hired as the children’s nanny by Sally Field’s unsuspecting character. Mrs. Doubtfire was the second highest-grossing movie of 1993. It ranks 40th on Bravo’s list of the “100 Funniest Movies of All Time” although most of the credit goes to Robin Williams. Sally’s character is much more reserved, responsible, and mature than Williams’ free-wheeling character.
Sally Field Isn't Even Old Enough to Be Tom Hanks' Mother
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Sally Field is only ten years older than Tom Hanks, yet she was cast to play his mother in the 1994 movie, Forrest Gump. This was her second time working with Hanks. The two had appeared in Punchline six years prior to reuniting on the set of Forrest Gump. As a mother who loves her son unconditionally, her character is instrumental in giving Forrest, a developmentally disabled young man, the skills and confidence to lead an extraordinary life.
Burt Reynolds Was Never Mr. Sally Field
(reddit) Sally Field has been married twice, but neither time was to actor Burt Reynolds. From 1968 to 1975, she was married to Steven Craig. They had two sons together, Peter Craig, a novelist, and Eli Craig, an actor and director. She married to her second husband, Alan Greisman, from 1984 to 1994. She had another son, Sam, with Greisman. Sally was romantically linked to Burt Reynolds for about six years, beginning the late 1970s, but they never tied the knot.
Sally Field Showing Some Leg for "The End"
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A dark comedy, the 1978 film The End starred boyfriend-girlfriend Burt Reynolds and Sally Field, along with Dom LeLuise, Robby Benson, Kristy Mc Nichol, Carl Reiner, Norman Fell, Joanne Woodward, and Myrna Loy. Sally posed for a series of publicity photos ahead of the release of this film wearing a jersey with the number 22 on it. That was Burt Reynolds’ jersey number back when he played football. Many of the pics from this photoshoot crossed the line to cheesecake in nature … but Burt Reynolds probably didn’t mind.
Sally Field Was a Young Bride and Mother
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Sally Field was 19 years old when she started dating Steven Craig, a former high school classmate. They got married in 1968 and Sally quickly became pregnant with her first child. She was still filming The Flying Nun at this time … and it would make for an interesting plot twist if the writers tried to write Sally’s pregnancy into the storyline! Her big, billowy nun habit kept a lot of things secret. And then the show was cancelled before she got to far along in her pregnancy. Her son, Peter Craig, is a writer. His novels include The Martini Shot and Blood Father. He adapted the screenplays for The Hunger Games.
Sally Field Was No Surfer Girl
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Sally Field may have been a typical California girl, but she was no surfer. That didn’t stop the studio from casting the newcomer as the surf-crazed, boy-crazed girl surfer in Gidget. Fans of the short-lived show may have noticed that the surf scenes were creatively shot to make it look like Sally was ripping the waves. The film crew expected Sally to know how to surf and had to adjust when she could barely stand on the board. And talk about acting … most of the time, the waters of the Pacific Ocean were so cold that Sally’s legs were numb. But she kept smiling.
Playing the Title Role in "Sybil" Changed Sally Field's Career
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When Sally Field and Joanne Woodward played a patient and psychiatrist in the made-for-television movie, Sybil, it was the first time that many people in the general public had ever heard about multiple personality disorder, but it wasn’t the first time that this rare psychological disorder was the subject of a movie. Joanne Woodward herself played a woman with multiple personalities in The Three Faces of Eve for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Sally Field's Romance with Burt Reynolds Was Toxic at Times
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To the tabloid media, Sally Field and Burt Reynold seemed like a Hollywood power couple, but in Sally’s memoir, In Pieces, she provided an inside look at their relationship. Sally, who had been abused as a child and recently divorced, was simultaneously terrified and empowered to have the biggest sex symbol of the 1970s interested in her. But she writes that Reynolds was insecure and jealous. Filled with toxic masculinity, Reynolds belittled Sally’s acting skills, turned controlling, and expected her to take care of him.
Sally Field Battled an Eating Disorder
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Being a teen celebrity, especially one who was expected to wear a bathing suit all the time, Sally Field developed an eating disorder while filming Gidget and it extended to her time on the set of The Flying Nun. She tried binge eating and vomiting up her food, but this was too difficult for her. So, she drastically restricted her diet. She later recalled that she ate only cucumbers for days on end. Tiny as she was, she asked her family doctor – the same one who helped arrange an abortion for her when she was 17 – for diet pills. He prescribed Dexedrine which left her wired and jittery. Here she was playing an innocent nun while she was high on amphetamines.
Sally Field Was a Fan-Favorite on "ER"
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