Sally Field has been a wholesomely unstoppable force in Hollywood since the start of her career decades ago. With a shelf full of celebratory awards that commend her numerous memorable performances through the years, it would only make sense for her to receive one in particular as the crowning jewel. Well, it’s finally happening. Per an exclusive report from Variety, Sally Field will finally receive a lifetime achievement award from the Screen Actor’s Guild during the SAG Awards ceremony on February 26th.
Field will be the 58th recipient of SAG’s most prestigious award, which has been given through the years to other incredible actors such as Helen Mirren, the late Betty White, Robert De Nero, and even two of Field’s former co-stars Rita Moreno and Lily Tomlin. SAG-AFTRA’s president Fran Drescher had this to say of Field’s well-deserved accolade:
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Field has an astounding filmography that has spanned six decades and earned her countless awards, among them three Emmys, a SAG award, and two Oscars. One of her Oscars was for Best Actress in the drama film Norma Rae (1979), which was based on the true story of Crystal Lee Sutton. Field swept the entire awards circuit with her performance in the film, winning every single one of the seven nominations she received for it. Her other Oscar was for Places in the Heart (1984), an American-Western film in which she starred alongside Ed Harris and John Malkovich. Field’s other notable roles through the years included Steel Magnolias (1989), the classic family comedy Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) which also featured the late Robin Williams, the ever-memorable Forrest Gump (1994), and Spielberg’s biographical drama Lincoln (2012).
“Sally is an amazing actor with an enormous range and an uncanny ability to embody any character…She has an enduring career because she is authentic in her performance and always projects likability and humanity – she just connects. That’s part of why she has sustained her massive fandom and incredibly rich and layered career. Sally is a massive star with a working actor’s ethos – just keep doing the work, being as good as you can.”
How Sally Met Hollywood
Sally Field grew up in Pasadena, California in a relatively traditional household. Her mother was actress Margaret Field, and her father Richard Dryden Field served in the Army during World War II. Sally got her start as an actress with multiple television gigs, the first being on the sitcom Gidget (1965-66). Later on, deciding she wanted to break free of the typecast “girl next door” roles she seemed to be snared in over and over, she went to study at the Actor’s Studio under Lee Strasberg, who also trained the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Jane Fonda, and Al Pacino. After winning her first Emmy for television film drama Sybil (1976), Field would finally get her breakthrough on the landmark comedy film Smokey and the Bandit (1979) alongside Burt Reynolds. From there, her career only soared upwards, leading to numerous more respectable roles in various genres of films.
