Sally Field

Photo of Sally Field

Biography

In the 1970s, Field reinvented herself as a serious film actress with the Emmy-winning TV-movie "Sybil" (1976) and with her Oscar-winning turn as a labor organizer in "Norma Rae" (1979). Field's popularity rarely waned over the next two decades - helped in large part by a fabled late 1970s romance with her "Smokey and the Bandit" (1977) co-star, Burt Reynolds, as well as an impeccable choice in films like "Steel Magnolias" (1989), "Mrs. …
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Job Title

Actor, Director, Producer, Writer

Born

Sally Margaret Field on November 6, 1946 in Pasadena, California, USA

Career Milestones

2012

Portrayed Mary Todd Lincoln opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln"

2012

Returned to film acting as Peter Parker's Aunt May in "The Amazing Spider-Man"

2009

Nominated for the 2009 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in Drama Series

2006

Played the sick mother of four in the bittersweet comedy "Two Weeks"

2006

Cast as the mother of five adult children on ABC's "Brothers & Sisters"; earned Golden Globe (2008, 2009), SAG (2008, 2009) and Emmy (2008, 2009) nominations for Best Actress in a Drama Series

2003

Played a congresswoman opposite Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde"

2001

Played supporting role as Heather Graham's mother in "Say It Isn't So"

2000

Landed recurring guest role on "ER" (NBC) as Dr. Abby Lockhart's (Maura Tierney) mother who is struggling to cope with bipolar disorder; returned to the role in 2003 and 2006; earned an Emmy nomination in 2003

2000

Feature directorial debut, "Beautiful" starring Minnie Driver

1999

Portrayed a one-time housewife who is forced to work as a housekeeper for a wealthy woman (Judy Davis) in Showtime's "A Cooler Climate"; received an Emmy nomination

1998

Directed "The Original Wives Club" segment of the award-winning HBO miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon"; series executive produced by Tom Hanks

1998

Made a cameo appearance on the CBS sitcom "Murphy Brown" as Secretary #91

1996

Directorial debut, the ABC TV-movie "The Christmas Tree"; also scripted and produced

1995

Returned to TV for the NBC miniseries "A Woman of Independent Means"; also produced; received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Miniseries (as producer) and Golden Globe, Emmy and SAG nominations for Lead Actress

1994

Portrayed the title character's mother in the Academy Award-winning film "Forrest Gump"; re-teamed with Tom Hanks

1993

Played the wife of Robin Williams and the love interest of Pierce Brosnan in Chris Columbus's "Mrs. Doubtfire"

1991

Delivered a terrific turn as a diva-like soap opera actress in "Soapdish"

1991

Starred in "Not Without My Daughter" as American citizen Betty Mahmoody, who escaped with her daughter from her husband in Iran; based on the book of the same title written by Mahmoody

1991

First film as producer, "Dying Young" starring Julia Roberts and Campbell Scott

1989

Played Julia Roberts' mother in Herbert Ross' film adaptation of the off-Broadway play "Steel Magnolias"; earned a Golden Globe nomination

1988

First film with Tom Hanks, "Punchline"; played a housewife attempting to pursue a career as a standup comic

1985

First film credit for Fogwood, "Murphy's Romance" (co-starring Field and James Garner); earned a Golden Globe nomination

1984

Won second Academy Award for her starring role in Robert Benton's semi-autobiographical "Places in the Heart," playing a Texas woman struggling to save her farm

1982

Co-starred with James Caan and Jeff Bridges in the comedy "Kiss Me Goodbye"; earned a Golden Globe nomination

1981

Played an inexperienced reporter opposite Paul Newman in "Absence of Malice"; earned a Golden Globe nomination

1981

Played a prostitute opposite Tommy Lee Jones in "Back Roads"

1981

Formed production company Fogwood Films

1979

Delivered breakthrough film role, playing the titular Southern textile worker who organizes her fellow employees in "Norma Rae"

1977

First of four films with Burt Reynolds, "Smokey and the Bandit"; earned a Golden Globe nomination; began off-screen romantic relationship with Reynolds

1976

Offered an award-winning performance in her first dramatic role, playing the title role of a young woman afflicted with multiple personality syndrome in the NBC TV-Movie "Sybil"

1975

First lead role in a feature, playing Jeff Bridges' working-class girlfriend in "Stay Hungry"

1973

Cast opposite John Davidson on the NBC sitcom "The Girl with Something Extra"

1971

Played a runaway hippie who returns to her parents' home in the ABC TV-movie "Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring"

1971

Landed recurring role on the ABC Western comedy "Alias Smith and Jones"

1967

Breakthrough TV role, playing Sister Bertrille on the ABC series "The Flying Nun"

1967

Made feature film debut in the epic Western "The Way West"

1965

Made TV debut as the boy-struck, surfer girl Frances 'Gidget' Lawrence on the ABC series "Gidget"

Raised in California's San Fernando Valley

Awards

2009

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in Brothers & Sisters

2009

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series in Brothers & Sisters

2008

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama in Brothers & Sisters

2008

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in Brothers & Sisters

2008

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series in Brothers & Sisters

2007

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama in Brothers & Sisters

2007

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in Brothers & Sisters

2003

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Drama Series in ER

2001

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in David Copperfield

2001

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Drama Series in ER

2001

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series in ER

2000

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in A Cooler Climate

1996

Berlin International Film Festival for Berlinale Camera

1996

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in A Woman of Independent Means

1995

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in A Woman of Independent Means

1995

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In a Miniseries or Special in A Woman of Independent Means

1995

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries in A Woman of Independent Means

1995

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Forrest Gump

1994

BAFTA Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Forrest Gump

1989

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in Steel Magnolias

1985

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Murphy's Romance

1984

Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Places in the Heart

1984

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in Places in the Heart

1982

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Kiss Me Goodbye

1981

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in Absence of Malice

1979

Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Norma Rae

1979

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress in Norma Rae

1979

Cannes Film Festival for Best Actress in Norma Rae

1979

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in Norma Rae

1979

National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in Norma Rae

1979

National Board of Review Award for Best Actress in Norma Rae

1979

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in Norma Rae

1977

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Smokey and the Bandit