At 78, Sally Field finally tells the truth about Robin Williams. Sally Field was born Sally Margaret Field on November 6th, 1946 in Pasadena, California. Field grew up in a family that was closely connected to the entertainment industry. Her mother, Margaret Field, was an actress, while her stepfather, Jock Mahoney, was also a well-known actor and stunt man.
These early influences along with the vibrant cultural environment of Southern California helped to nurture her artistic sensibilities and provided her with an intimate understanding of the challenges and rewards of a life in show business. Field first rose to prominence in the 1960s with her breakout role in the light-hearted television sitcom GT 1965 to 1966.
Despite the show lasting only one season, her portrayal of the spirited, youthful, and relatable teenager made her a household name. She followed this success with another iconic TV role in The Flying Nun 1967 to 1970, where she played Sister Bertriel, a quirky novice nun whose habit allowed her to literally take flight.
Although the premise was whimsical and sometimes limiting, Field’s natural charm and comedic timing carried the show and cemented her place as one of television’s most endearing stars of the era. As her career developed, however, Field felt the desire to break away from the stereotypical roles that had defined her early years.
Determined to be taken seriously as a dramatic actress, she trained extensively, including at the actor studio with the legendary Lee Strasburg. Her perseverance paid off when she took on more complex and demanding roles, proving her extraordinary range. Her performance in the television movie Cibil, 1976, in which she played a young woman struggling with dissociative identity disorder, was a breakthrough moment.
The role required an immense amount of emotional intensity and Field’s raw, fearless performance earned her an Emmy award and wide critical acclaim. It established her as a serious actress capable of handling challenging material and forever changed the trajectory of her career. The late 1970s and 1980s marked a golden era for Field during which she became one of Hollywood’s most respected leading ladies.
She won her first Academy Award for best actress for her role in Norma Ray, 1979, where she portrayed a workingclass southern woman who becomes a passionate labor union activist. The film not only showcased her strength as an actress, but also resonated with audiences for its powerful social message. Just a few years later, Field won her second Oscar for best actress for her role in Places in the Heart, 1984.
A poignant story set during the Great Depression. Her acceptance speech for the award included the now famous line, “You like me right now, you like me.” A moment that has since become one of the most memorable in Academy Awards history. Throughout the decades, Field continued to balance her career between film, television, and stage, proving her adaptability and commitment to her craft.
She appeared in a wide range of films, including Smokeoky and the Bandit, 1977, Steel Magnolia’s 1989, Mrs. Doubtfire, 1993, and Forest Gump, 1994. each time leaving a lasting impression on audiences with her ability to bring warmth, relatability, and depth to her characters. On television, she continued to shine with roles in series such as Brothers and Sisters 2006 to 2011, earning her another Emmy award.
She also proved herself on the Broadway stage, starring in productions such as The Glass Managerie, where critics praised her theatrical presence. Her later career has been equally impressive. In 2012, she received widespread acclaim for her portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, a role that earned her an Academy Award nomination.
Even in her 70s, she has continued to work steadily, demonstrating an unwavering passion for storytelling and acting. Beyond her career achievements, Field has also been admired for her authenticity, honesty, and resilience in her personal life. She has been open about the challenges she has faced, including struggles with self-doubt, the pressures of Hollywood, and personal relationships.
In 2018, she released her memoir, In Pieces, in which she candidly detailed her life journey, her career highs and lows, and her personal struggles, including difficult family dynamics, and her own path towards self-discovery. The book was praised for its raw honesty and emotional depth, much like her acting.
Sally Field’s personal life has often been a subject of public curiosity, not only because of her fame as an actress, but also due to the unique paths her relationships and family have taken alongside her career. Field entered into her first marriage in 1968 when she wed Steven Craig. At the time, Field was still in the early years of her acting career, having gained national attention with her breakthrough role in Gig and later in The Flying Nun.
Her marriage to Craig represented a grounding point in her life, offering her a sense of stability while she navigated the fast-paced world of Hollywood. Although their relationship faced its share of struggles leading to their separation in 1973 and eventual divorce in 1975, the years they shared together were profoundly significant for Field because it was during this time that she became a mother for the first time.
The couple had two sons, both of whom went on to establish themselves in creative fields, reflecting their mother’s artistic influence. Their first child, Peter Craig, was born in 1969. Peter grew up immersed in a world surrounded by storytelling and cinema, and as an adult, he channeled that inspiration into becoming a novelist and screenwriter.
His work has been recognized in Hollywood where he has written or contributed to major films including The Town 12 Strong and Top Gun Maverick. Their second son, Eli Craig, born in 1972, inherited a love for film as well, though he leaned toward performance and directing. Eli has become known for his work as both an actor and filmmaker with credits that include directing the cult favorite horror comedy Tucker and Dale Versus Evil.
For Field, motherhood was always a defining part of her identity, and she often balanced the demands of Hollywood with her devotion to raising Peter and Eli, making sure her children had as normal an upbringing as possible, despite the glare of the spotlight. After her marriage to Craig ended, Field’s personal life took another turn when she entered into a high-profile relationship with actor Bert Reynolds in 1976.
Their romance quickly captured the public’s imagination, partly because they were one of Hollywood’s most glamorous couples of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Field and Reynolds were not only romantically involved, but also professional collaborators, co-starring in four films together, Smokeoky and the Bandit, 1977.
Its sequel Smokeoky and the Bandit 2, 1980. The dark comedy The End, 1978, and the action comedy Hooper, 1978. Their on-screen chemistry mirrored their real life passion, and the pair became one of the most talked about duos in both cinema and the tabloids. However, like many Hollywood relationships, theirs was complicated.
Although they cared deeply for each other, their differing personalities and the pressures of fame created tension. After 4 years together, the couple officially broke up in 1980. Yet their connection remained strong enough that they continued an on andoff relationship until 1982 when they finally ended things permanently. Reynolds in particular would later speak openly about his enduring love for Field, often calling her the one that got away.
For Field, though their romance ultimately didn’t last, it represented an important and formative chapter in her life, one that shaped her personal journey as much as it influenced her career trajectory. In 1984, Field chose to take another step toward building a family life when she married her second husband, film producer Alan Griezmann.
This union marked a new era for her and together they welcomed a son Samuel Sam Griezmann born in 1987. Unlike his older half-bros Sam pursued a career largely outside the Hollywood limelight, though he has dabbled in writing and directing, carving out his own path. Field has often spoken proudly of Sam and has also been publicly supportive of him, particularly when he came out as gay, with Field emerging as an advocate for LGBTQ plus rights, reflecting the deep bond she shares with her children. Despite their efforts to
build a lasting marriage, Field and Griezmann eventually divorced in 1994. While the breakup was undoubtedly difficult, it reinforced a recurring theme in Field’s life. her remarkable resilience and ability to balance personal challenges with her ongoing professional success. Throughout her marriages, relationships, and role as a mother, Sally Field has consistently shown that her private life has been as rich and complex as the characters she has portrayed on screen.
Each chapter from her early years with Steven Craig to her whirlwind romance with Bert Reynolds to her marriage with Alan Griezmann shaped her not only as an actress but also as a woman who embraced love, endured heartbreak, and ultimately found fulfillment in her role as a mother to three sons who reflect her creativity and strength in their own unique ways.
At 78 years old, Sally Field has lived a long and extraordinary life filled with personal triumphs, heartbreaks, and a career that has earned her an enduring place in Hollywood history. In recent years, she has reached a point of reflection where she feels more comfortable sharing candid truths about her life and the people who touched it most deeply.
One of the most surprising and emotional revelations came when she spoke about her relationship with the late Robin Williams, the brilliant actor and comedian whose presence both on and offcreen left an unforgettable mark on generations of audiences. In her own words, Field admitted just how complicated her feelings were toward Williams.
I really loved him, but it wasn’t like a romance. It was more complicated than that, she revealed, opening up about the way their lives intersected both professionally and personally. Their paths crossed most memorably on the set of the beloved 1993 film Mrs. Doubtfire, where Field played Miranda Hillard, the ex-wife of Williams’ character.
For millions of movie goers, the chemistry between the two was undeniable. They bickered. They bantered. And yet underneath it all, there was an affection that felt genuine, almost too real to simply be scripted. Field confessed that this closeness was not just acting. It reflected the deep and layered bond she had with Williams during that time.
But Field also acknowledged that her feelings were tinged with sadness and regret. I miss him terribly, but I also know that I didn’t always say the things I should have said when he was alive, she admitted with disarming honesty. This kind of vulnerability is something Field has embraced in her later years, speaking openly about the guilt that can come with losing someone too soon.
For her, Robin Williams was not only a co-star, but also a friend with whom she shared a rare kind of emotional intimacy, even if it wasn’t the traditional kind of love story people often expect. She recalled how working with Williams was like stepping into another world. His mind was lightning fast, filled with endless ideas, jokes, and bursts of energy that could leave everyone on set breathless.
Robin was exhausting in the best way. Field said he would make you laugh until your stomach hurt, and then just when you thought he couldn’t surprise you anymore, he would say something so sensitive, so tender that it would break your heart. For her, that was the essence of Williams, the clown and the poet, the whirlwind, and the stillness, all wrapped into one person.
Yet beneath the joy, Field admitted she always sensed an undercurrent of pain in Williams, something that made her instinctively protective of him. “I could see the sadness, even when he was making everyone laugh,” she explained. “He wore it like a shadow, one that never quite left him.” Looking back now with the perspective that age and experience bring, Field regrets not reaching out more, not trying harder to ease that burden.
She said that sometimes she wonders if he ever truly understood how loved and cherished he was, not just by the world, but by the people who stood closest to him. Her reflections on Williams were not just about grief, but also about gratitude. I’m so lucky that I got to know him the way I did, she said softly. He wasn’t just a genius.
He was a deeply human soul. And I think that’s what people saw on screen. someone who could make them laugh and cry within the same breath because that’s who he really was. For Field, Robin Williams remains a reminder of the fragile balance between light and darkness and of the importance of saying the things we often hold back until it is too late.
Now at 78, Sally Field has decided she no longer wants to hold back. By finally sharing these truths about Robin Williams, she is not only paying tribute to a friend she adored, but also offering a lesson about love, honesty, and the fleeting nature of time. Her words serve as both a celebration of William’s brilliance, and a heartfelt confession of her own unfinished conversations with him, a reminder to all of us to speak our truths before the chance slips away.
In her candid memoir, Sally Field opened up about a deeply vulnerable chapter of her life, revealing that during her late teenage years, she endured what she described as severe depression. This was not a fleeting sadness or a temporary struggle, but rather a profound and overwhelming emotional weight that colored nearly every aspect of her existence.
For Field, these years were marked by an inner turbulence that she often could not explain to others. And like many young people at that age, she felt isolated in her suffering. The pressure of trying to discover who she truly was, coupled with the insecurities and uncertainties that naturally accompanied the transition from adolescence into adulthood, created a perfect storm of emotional distress.
Field explained that her depression was accompanied by what she called this urgency, this anxiety, this need to find something that was festering in me. Those words capture the restless energy she carried within herself as though she was searching for an outlet or a means to express emotions too large to contain.
It was not simply sadness, but a knowing feeling of incompleteness, a sense that her spirit was pushing against invisible walls, yearning for freedom, clarity, and purpose. The anxiety she mentioned often manifested as a relentless questioning of her own worth and identity. It was as though she knew there was something important waiting to emerge inside her, but she had no map to follow and no guarantee that she would ever discover what it was.
