These days, it’s rare to find a celebrity who hasn’t had work done, especially considering the strain that famous women often endure. Even at 76 years old, Sally Field has defied most of the “rules” that are in place, despite the fact that being a woman in Hollywood is difficult.
We love Sally Field’s performances in films like Forrest Gump and Steel Magnolias. Rather than anything that can be seen on television, some of our favorite work from her is centered around her personal approach toward overcoming ageism in her job.
Born in 1946 in California, Sally Field first gained notoriety for her parts in television series such as Gidget and The Flying Nun.
The now 76-year-old actress established herself as a skilled actor and advocate as soon as she made the leap from television to the big screen.
She starred in several beloved films, including Sweetheart and the Bandit, Mrs. Doubtfire, Forrest Gump, and Norma Rae.
Speaking eloquently, the actress won the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in February 2023 and discussed her extraordinary and successful career.
With two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Film Award nominations, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes, two SAG Awards—including her most recent Life Achievement Award—and a Tony nomination, Field has already been the recipient of several distinctions during her career.
Strong on advocacy, Field is often complimented for her intelligence and timeless style. Her understated SAG Achievement Award speech effectively clarified her complex history in acting.
“I felt shy, guarded, and hidden when I wasn’t on stage. But I never knew what I would say or do when I was on stage. It would surprise me to see myself. I wasn’t looking for the attention or the praise, even if it’s beautiful,” she remarked. For me, the whole point of playing has always been to find those precious, infrequent moments when I feel fully, intensely, and occasionally dangerously alive. Finding a path there has always been the difficult part.
With her gorgeous black outfit and her hair falling naturally gray, Field exuded immaculate elegance.
All my life, I have been employed. “They let me see aspects of myself that I would not have otherwise known.” “I have been an actor for almost sixty years, and I am quietly happy to call myself that,” she remarked.
In 2016, Field played the aging, eccentric Doris Miller. She discussed the character with NPR.
“I acknowledge that I am an old woman—70 years old is old. Over the years, I have developed strength; I am the owner of it, I deserve it, I worked for it, and I am entitled to it. I also don’t like my neck, among other things, but other than that, everything’s OK.
Field has already discussed the idea of aging naturally in interviews. She explained how she battled the urge to finish her work during her career in a 2009 interview with Good Housekeeping:
When I see myself on TV, I think to myself, “Oh, I wish that weren’t happening to my neck.” Your face is falling apart, and your eyes are incredibly puffy. But now that I’ve had plastic surgery, I can see some of the people that I used to think were so beautiful. Right now, I’m thinking, Oh no, please don’t do it! Moreover, it seems to be highly degrading to their present selves.
Sally Field is gorgeous in our opinion no matter what age, especially since she hasn’t aged! What are your thoughts on her choice to stay true to herself?
