Sally Field made her debut in the 1962 American Technicolor science fiction comedy film ‘Moon Pilot’ directed by James Neilson. The film was inspired by Robert Buckner's 1960 novel Starfire and received mixed to positive reviews from critics upon release. In 1965, she starred as ‘Frances Elizabeth 'Gidget' Lawrence’ in the American sitcom ‘Gidget.’ The show ran for 32 episodes and went off-air in 1966. She continued to appear in television series and films like ‘Hey, Landlord’ (1966-1967), ‘The Flying Nun’ (1967-1970), ‘Alias Smith and Jones’ (1971-1972), ‘Hitched’ (1971), ‘Mongo's Back in Town’ (1971), ‘The Girl with Something Extra’ (1973-1974), and ‘Sybil’ (1976) which earned a ‘Primetime Emmy Award.’ In 1977, she starred as Carrie "Frog" in the American road action comedy film ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ directed by Hal Needham. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics and was a massive box office success, grossing over $126 million against a budget of $4.3 million. The following year, she appeared in the American black comedy film ‘The End’ where she played the role of ‘Mary Ellen.’ While the film received a mixed response from critics, it did decent business at the box office.
Field became a recipient of the ‘Academy Award’ and ‘Golden Globe Award,’ along with several Critics Awards, for her portrayal of ‘Norma Rae Webster’ in the 1979 American drama film ‘Norma Rae’ directed by Martin Ritt. The film saw critical acclaim upon release and scored an approval rating of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. She was next seen in films like ‘Smokey and the Bandit II’ (1980), ‘Back Roads’ (1981), ‘Absence of Malice’ (1981), and ‘Kiss Me Goodbye’ (1982). The year 1984 saw the release of the American film ‘Places in the Heart’ where Field was seen playing the role of ‘Edna Spalding.’ The film was well-received by critics and was a box office success. Field also received the ‘Golden Globe Award’ and ‘Academy Award’ for her performance in the film. The following year, she starred as ‘Emma Moriarty’ in the Martin Ritt-directed American romantic-comedy film ‘Murphy's Romance.’ The film garnered positive reviews from critics and grossed over $30 million on a budget of $13 million.
She continued to appear in films like ‘Surrender’ (1987), ‘Punchline’ (1988), ‘Steel Magnolias’ (1989), ‘Not Without My Daughter’ (1991), ‘Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey’ (1993), and ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ (1993). In 1994, she appeared in the American comedy-drama film ‘Forrest Gump’ directed by Robert Zemeckis. The film garnered praise from critics and was a phenomenal commercial success. Field continued to appear in films like ‘Eye for an Eye’ (1996), ‘Where the Heart Is’ (2000), ‘Say It Isn't So’ (2001), ‘Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde’ (2003), ‘Two Weeks’ (2006), ‘The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning’ (2008), ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ (2012), ‘Lincoln’ (2012), ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ (2014), and ‘Little Evil’ (2017). She was last seen playing the role of ‘Janice Foster’ in the American drama television series ‘Dispatches from Elsewhere’ in 2020.
