Sally Field

Sally Field had a difficult relationship with her stepfather, especially during her teenage years. However, he encouraged her to pursue her acting interests, and even advised her to accept the lead in ‘The Flying Nun’.

In 1968, while working in ‘The Flying Nun’, she married her boyfriend from high school Steven Craig, and became pregnant with his child. Her son Peter was born the next year. Four years later, her second son Elijah was born.

She studied at the famous ‘Actors Studio’, an acting workshop founded by Lee Strasberg. The course helped her attain a more serious reputation, and hence helped her get better roles.

Sally Field was born to Richard Dryden Field, an Army officer and Margaret Field, an actress in Pasadena, California.

Sally’s parents had a turbulent relationship, which affected Sally psychologically. Their marriage eventually ended in divorce in 1950. Her mother got married to Hollywood stuntman Jack Mahoney, who was a strict father to Sally.

She studied at ‘Portola Middle School’ and later ‘Birmingham High School’ in Van Nuys, where she was involved in extracurricular activities, which included drama and cheerleading.

After finishing high school, and encouraged by her stepfather to pursue acting, Field enrolled in an acting workshop at ‘Columbia Studios’. There, she was invited by a casting agent to audition for the lead role in a TV series called ‘Gidget’.

In the rigorous auditions, after many trials, Field was chosen from among 75 applicants and hence got her first break in television.

‘Gidget’ ran only for just one season before being cancelled, but Field became popular with the viewers, especially teenagers and when the show was broadcasted again, it received surprisingly good viewership.

1967 was an eventful year for Field. That year, she began acting in a new TV series (The Flying Nun), had her first major film released (The Way West) and also ventured into singing with two tracks, the theme song of ‘The Flying Nun’ and ‘Felicidad’.

Although ‘The Flying Nun’ was slammed by critics, it was a big success with the viewers. Field herself was unhappy because she feared that the role would typecast her as a comic actress, while she wanted more serious roles.

In 1979, the real-life inspired drama ‘Norma Rae’ starring Field was released to much critical and commercial success. Field’s rendering of the title character, a plucky minimum-wage mill worker who tries to unionize the mill, was highly praised. Made on a budget of 4.5 million, the film grossed more than 22 million at the box-office worldwide.

In 1984, Field delivered another winner with ‘Places in the Heart’. Set in the period of the ‘Great Depression’, the film has Field portraying a stricken widow, who struggles to keep her farm running. The film also featured John Malkovich, and grossed more than 34 million at the box-office.