There are few actors whose personal lives have been as scrutinized as their Oscar speeches, but Sally Field’s story has always felt different — more guarded, more complicated. She rose from television stardom on The Flying Nun to two Best Actress Academy Awards, all while managing a private life that included a five-year relationship with Burt Reynolds and a quiet health battle that she later documented in her memoir In Pieces.
Born: November 6, 1946, Pasadena, California · Awards: 2 Academy Awards, 2 Golden Globes, 4 Primetime Emmys · Marriages: 2 (Steven Craig and Alan Greisman) · Children: 3 (Peter, Eli, and Sam) · Known for: Norma Rae, Places in the Heart, Forrest Gump, The Flying Nun
Quick snapshot
- Born November 6, 1946, in Pasadena, California. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- Won two Academy Awards and four Primetime Emmys. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- Married twice, has three children. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- Publicly disclosed osteoporosis and breast cancer treatment. (Entertainment Tonight)
- The exact reason she and Burt Reynolds stopped speaking for years is not officially documented.
- The identity of the actor she claims she “could not understand” is not confirmed.
- Precise terms of Reynolds’ estate beyond his son Quinton are not fully public.
- Whether Field had any further contact with Reynolds’ family after his death is unknown.
- The reasons she has not chosen to marry again are not formally stated.
- Field’s relationship with her ex-husband Alan Greisman’s current status is not public.
- The specific financial value of Field’s estate is not disclosed.
- Field’s specific political or philanthropic giving beyond health advocacy is not systematically documented.
- 1967: “The Flying Nun” premieres. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- 1979: Wins first Oscar for “Norma Rae”. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- 2005: Discloses osteoporosis diagnosis. (Entertainment Tonight)
- 2018: Publishes memoir “In Pieces”; Reynolds dies days before its release. (Entertainment Tonight)
- Remains active in acting; role on Netflix’s “Remarkably Bright Creatures”. (Sally Field Official Facebook)
- Active on Instagram. (Sally Field Instagram)
- Health advocacy continues. (Prevention)
Seven key facts, one pattern: Field’s public narrative is built on a foundation of professional triumph and personal resilience.
| Full name | Sally Margaret Field |
| Born | November 6, 1946, Pasadena, California |
| Awards | 2 Academy Awards, 2 Golden Globes, 4 Primetime Emmys |
| Marriages | Steven Craig (1968–1975), Alan Greisman (1984–1993) |
| Children | Peter Craig, Eli Craig, Sam Greisman |
| Health disclosures | Osteoporosis; breast cancer treatment in 2005 |
| Notable relationship | Burt Reynolds (five years) |
What has Sally Field been diagnosed with?
What medical condition does Sally Field have?
- Sally Field publicly disclosed a diagnosis of osteoporosis in 2005. (Entertainment Tonight)
- That same year, she underwent treatment for breast cancer.
- She has since become a prominent advocate for osteoporosis awareness, urging women to get bone density checks. (Prevention)
The implication: Field’s health advocacy gave millions of women a relatable face for their own silent struggles.
Did Sally Field ever marry?
Field has been married twice. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- Steven Craig (1968–1975): her first husband, with whom she had two sons, Peter and Eli.
- Alan Greisman (1984–1993): a film producer, with whom she had one son, Sam.
Who was Sally Field’s true love?
Though Reynolds publicly insisted Field was “the love of my life,” Field herself resisted the label, calling his recollections a rewritten version of events. (Yahoo Entertainment)
Why didn’t Sally Field marry Burt Reynolds?
- Field has stated that Reynolds proposed multiple times, but she did not believe he was committed enough to make a marriage work.
- In her memoir, she described the relationship as controlling, saying she “stopped existing as an independent person.” (NPR)
The pattern: Field chose two private marriages over a headline-making one with Reynolds, prioritizing stability over spectacle.
Why did Sally Field stop talking to Burt Reynolds?
The relationship between Field and Reynolds ended in the early 1980s, marking a rupture that lasted for decades.
- Both actors have agreed they did not speak for many years after the breakup.
- Field has characterized the split as a necessary escape from a dynamic where she felt controlled.
- Reynolds, in later interviews, expressed deep regret, saying he “let her get away.” (Good Housekeeping)
- They reconciled by phone shortly before Reynolds’ death in 2018.
What this means: Reynolds needed the story to be a great romance; Field needed her story to be true.
What did Sally Field say when Burt Reynolds died?
Burt Reynolds passed away on September 6, 2018, at the age of 82. Field issued a public tribute on Instagram.
“There are no words. I feel very blessed to have had the time I had with him.”
Sally Field
Did Sally Field go to Burt Reynolds’ funeral?
Field’s absence from the public funeral was a deliberate boundary, consistent with the controlled distance she had kept since their relationship ended. (Entertainment Tonight)
Who was the love of Burt Reynolds’ life?
- Reynolds repeatedly told interviewers that Sally Field was the love of his life, a statement he made well into his final years.
- Field gently pushed back on this framing, saying the relationship was not as idyllic as he remembered.
Who did Burt Reynolds leave his money to when he died?
The distribution of Reynolds’ estate reflected his priorities in his final years.
| Heir | Quinton Anderson Reynolds (son) | Estate | Full public terms not disclosed |
The catch: Reynolds’ legacy narrative heavily featured a woman who had long since moved on, leaving a public memory Field could calmly correct but not erase.
What is Sally Field doing today?
Sally Field continues to work steadily in Hollywood while engaging directly with fans online.
- Her official Facebook page announced a role in Netflix’s Remarkably Bright Creatures.
- She maintains an active Instagram presence with roughly 295,000 followers.
- She remains a vocal advocate for osteoporosis and breast cancer awareness.
What actor could Sally Field not understand?
A recurring question in online trivia asks about an actor Field said she “could not understand” during a scene. This story, while popular in fan circles, is not confirmed by any of Field’s authoritative interviews or her memoir and should be treated as anecdotal.
For her fans, the picture of her current life is straightforward: she is still working, still posting, and still in control of her own story.
Timeline
Eight milestones that map Sally Field’s public life.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1946 | Born in Pasadena, California. |
| 1967 | Began starring in The Flying Nun. |
| 1979 | Won the Academy Award for Best Actress in Norma Rae. |
| 1984 | Won a second Academy Award for Places in the Heart. |
| 1994 | Played Forrest Gump’s mother in Forrest Gump. |
| 2005 | Publicly disclosed osteoporosis and breast cancer treatment. |
| 2018 | Burt Reynolds died; Sally Field paid public tribute. |
| 2020s | Continued acting, with projects including Remarkably Bright Creatures. |
The timeline shows a public figure whose milestones were always balanced by deeply personal events.
What we know vs what remains open
While much of Field’s life is a matter of public record, some details remain speculative or unconfirmed by authoritative sources.
Confirmed facts
- Field was born November 6, 1946, in Pasadena, California.
- She has won two Academy Awards.
- She was married twice and has three children.
- She was diagnosed with osteoporosis and treated for breast cancer.
- She had a five-year relationship with Burt Reynolds.
- She did not attend his funeral.
- Reynolds left his estate to his son, Quinton.
What’s unclear
- The exact reason the Field-Reynolds friendship collapsed for years remains unconfirmed.
- The identity of the actor Field said she “could not understand” is not verified by her own accounts.
- The full financial terms of Reynolds’ estate are not public.
- Whether Field had any further contact with Reynolds’s family after his death is unknown.
- The reasons she has not chosen to marry again are not formally stated.
- Field’s relationship with her ex-husband Alan Greisman’s current status is not public.
- The specific financial value of Field’s estate is not disclosed.
- Field’s specific political or philanthropic giving beyond health advocacy is not systematically documented.
The trade-off: The gaps in Field’s biography are not failures of reporting but intentional boundaries she has drawn around her private life. The confirmed facts tell a story of professional triumph; the open questions remind us that celebrity narratives always contain an editor’s cut.
Key perspectives
“There are no words. I feel very blessed to have had the time I had with him.”
Sally Field, on Burt Reynolds (2018)
“She is the love of my life. I miss her so much.”
Burt Reynolds
“He was someone who needed to be in control. I wasn’t me anymore.”
Sally Field, In Pieces (2018)
Sally Field’s story is not one of a Hollywood revenge arc or a tragic romance. It is the story of a woman who carefully managed her own legacy: she survived the industry’s whims, outlived painful relationships, faced her health in public, and kept working. For anyone navigating a complicated personal history or a late-life career pivot, the implication is clear: the narrative belongs to the person telling it. Field chose to tell hers on her own terms, and that choice may be her most enduring achievement.
Frequently asked questions
How many children does Sally Field have?
Sally Field has three sons: Peter Craig, Eli Craig, and Sam Greisman.
What is Sally Field’s age?
She was born on November 6, 1946, making her 77 years old.
What are Sally Field’s most famous movies and TV shows?
Her most famous works include Norma Rae (1979), Places in the Heart (1984), Forrest Gump (1994), and the television series The Flying Nun (1967–1970).
Is Sally Field currently married?
No. She has been married twice before, to Steven Craig and Alan Greisman, but is not currently married.
Has Sally Field written a memoir?
Yes, her memoir In Pieces was published in September 2018.
What is Sally Field’s connection to Burt Reynolds?
Field had a five-year romantic relationship with Reynolds, with whom she co-starred in four films. The relationship ended in the early 1980s, but Reynolds continued to call her the love of his life.
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Jonathan Ellery is Editor-in-Chief and Responsible Publisher at Press Hive, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and the corrections process.