These days, it’s pretty rare to find a famous person who doesn’t have a job listed on their resume, especially famous ladies who are always under a ton of stress.
Sally Field is 76 years old, but she doesn’t let that stop her from breaking the “rules” in Hollywood. It’s tough for women in the movie industry, but Sally Field does a great job in movies like Forrest Gump and Steel Magnolias.
One of the best things she’s done isn’t just her acting in movies, but how she’s tackled ageism in her career.
Sally Field, born in Pasadena, California in 1946, got her start on TV with shows like Gidget and The Flying Nun.
The actress, now 76, worked on her acting and then switched to making movies after starting on TV.
She was in a lot of other famous movies besides Smokey and the Bandit, Norma Rae, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Forrest Gump.
The actress was given the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in February 2023. She happily accepted the award and shared about her impressive career.
Sally Field has won lots of awards in her career, like two Academy Awards and two BAFTA Film Award nominations. She also got three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two SAG Awards, and even a Tony nomination. And she recently got a Life Achievement Award!
Field, a dedicated activist, is often called timeless and talented. Her speech for the SAG Achievement Award was humble and really showed off her detailed acting experience.
When I’m not on stage, I’m shy and cautious, like I’m hiding. But once I step onto that stage, it’s like a whole new me takes over. I surprise myself with what I say and do. I’m not seeking applause or attention, although it’s nice to receive. Acting, for me, is all about discovering those rare moments when I feel completely alive, even if it’s a bit risky. The challenge is always to figure out how to reach that state of being.
Field looked so pretty and classy in her amazing black dress and her natural gray hair.
“They opened and revealed parts of myself I would not have known otherwise. I’ve worked my whole life. In all of these almost 60 years, there is not a day that I don’t feel quietly thrilled to call myself an actor,” she described..
Back in 2016, Field portrayed the old oddball Doris Miller and had a chat with NPR about her character.
“I’m an old woman, 70 is old, and that’s okay. I’ve gathered strength behind my years, I owned them, I’ve earned them, I’ve deserved them, I have a right to have them. And I don’t like my neck, I don’t like a lot of things but it’s okay.”
Field has already talked about aging naturally in an interview. During a chat with Good Housekeeping in 2009, she talked about how she resisted the urge to finish work throughout her career.
“I see myself on TV and I say, ‘Oh, I wish that weren’t happening to my neck. And your face is falling down, and your eyes are so puffy.’ But then I see some of the women (who have had plastic surgery) who I thought when they were younger were so beautiful. Now I think, Oh, dear, don’t do that! And it seems to be terribly disrespectful to who they are now.”
Sally Field’s dedication to preserving her authenticity is what makes her charming no matter her age. How do you view her decision to maintain her natural hair?
