'I'd landed in the drama department, and it just kind of saved me,' she later explained to Good Housekeeping magazine. Field found solace from her difficult home life by focusing on her extracurricular activities at school. Mahoney also fought frequently with Field's mother, and the couple's increasingly rocky relationship weighed heavily on the children. Field's stepfather was a strict disciplinarian who expected faithful obedience from Field, her older brother, and half-sister Princess. The youngest of two children born to actress Margaret Field, the future star grew up in show business.Īfter Field's parents divorced, her mother married actor and stuntman Jock Mahoney. Early LifeĪctress, director and writer Sally Margaret Field was born on November 6, 1946, in Pasadena, California. Field is also known for her roles in the films Smokey and the Bandit, Forrest Gump and Lincoln, along with her Tony-nominated stage work.

Field won Academy Awards for her performances in Norma Rae (1979) and Places in the Heart (1984), as well as Emmys for the 1976 TV movie Sybil and her later contributions to ER and Brothers & Sisters. She next appeared in the hit series The Flying Nun, before moving on to the big screen.

Actress Sally Field's big break came when she began playing the lead role in the TV sitcom Gidget in 1965.

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