Contents
Sally Field
Moving from television comedy to Oscar-winning performances in Norma Rae and Places in the Heart.
Sybil · Lincoln
- Born
- 6 November 1946
- Birthplace
- Pasadena, California, United States
More people
Sally Field
Sally Field is an American actor who rebuilt her career after early sitcom fame. Her film and television work often centres on women navigating difficult family relationships or fighting to be heard.
Early life
An acting household
Her mother, Margaret Field, was an actor; Sally grew up in Southern California.
School stage
She acted at Birmingham High School before securing television work while still a teenager.
Career
- 1965
Sitcom debut
She became the surfing teenager in Gidget, followed by The Flying Nun.
- 1976
Dramatic turning point
The television film Sybil established her in serious dramatic roles.
- 1979–1984
Film recognition
Norma Rae and Places in the Heart brought two best-actress Oscars.
- 2006–2012
Later screen work
Brothers & Sisters returned her to television, and Lincoln cast her as Mary Todd Lincoln.
Selected work
Norma Rae
She played a textile worker organising a union.
Places in the Heart
Her widowed farmer struggled to hold a family and farm together during the Depression.
Lincoln
She portrayed the president’s wife amid war and family grief.
Beyond work
Memoir
In Pieces, published in 2018, examined her childhood, relationships and career.
Advocacy
She has supported women’s rights and LGBT equality, drawing on her experience as a mother.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Photo: Kevin Paul. CC BY 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
