14 Must-See Photos of Young Sally Field that Prove She Was Born to Be a Star

From 'Gidget' to 'Steel Magnolias' you won't believe these amazing snapshots through the years

By Carissa Mosness Updated: November 7, 2023

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then and now

Hulton Archive/ Frazer Harrison / Getty

As a celebrated actress and director, Sally Field has lit up both the big and small screens and charmed millions of viewers for the last six decades. Field embarked on her acting journey at a young age, making her television debut in the 1960s hit series Gidget and The Flying Nun. However, it was her remarkable ability to portray complex, relatable characters that catapulted her to stardom and earned her critical acclaim.

Field’s breakthrough came in the 1979 film Norma Rae, where she played the titular character, a fearless textile worker fighting for workers’ rights. Her powerful performance in the film not only earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress, but also established her as a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.

Field’s ability to seamlessly transition between stage and screen that demonstrated her remarkable range as an actress and she ultimately went on to win two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards and garnered nominations for a Tony Award and two British Academy Film Awards — and she’s not done yet!

Now in her late 70s, Sally Field’s life and career have been defined by her passion for storytelling, her dedication to her craft and her ability to connect with audiences on a deep emotional level. Here, we take a look at 14 amazing photos that highlight key moments that defined Sally Field when she was young, and the moments that have inspired us ever since.

14 photos of young Sally Field

Sally Field dreams of acting

1958 Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
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Born on November 6, 1946, in Pasadena, California, Sally Field has been acting since she was 16. Her first role was in the 1962 movie Moon Pilot, where she played "Beatnik Girl in Lineup." And from there, her career continued to climb.
Bringing 'Gidget' to life

Promotional portrait of American actor Sally Field sitting on a wooden surfboard with an American flag and eating a watermelon, for the television series, 'Gidget,' circa 1965. (Photo by ABC Television/Getty Images) ABC Television / Getty
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Sally Field played the beach-loving, outgoing and eager teenager on Gidget from 1965 to 1966. It was her first "big break" at the age of 18 and launched her into her next star-making role.
Becoming 'The Flying Nun'

1968 Hulton Archive/Getty; Bettmann / Contributor/Getty
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In 1967, luck was on Sally's side when she booked the lead on the hit TV show The Flying Nun. Playing the role of Sister Bertrille/ Elise Etherington Fields soared to new heights during her three-year and 82-episode run on this TV series.
Sally Field the Oscar winner

Sally Field with actor Dustin Hoffman after they won the Best Actor and Best Actress in 1980 Bettmann / Contributor/Getty
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In 1979, Field won her first Oscar for her portrayal of the titular character Norma Rae, a single mother who works in a textile factory and agrees to help unionize the mill despite the potential fallout.
Academy Award number two

Actor F. Murry Abraham and best actress Sally Field pose with their Oscars in 1980 ROB BOREN / Contributor/Getty; Bettmann / Contributor/Getty
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In 1985, Sally won her second Oscar during the 57th Academy Awards Ceremony for her role in Places in the Heart. The critically acclaimed movie follows Edna Spaling (Field) on her emotional journey as a widowed mother of two small children. Not to mention a farm to run, and very little money in the bank, a deadly tornado, and the horrifying presence of the Ku Klux Klan.
Bringing on the tears in 'Steel Magnolias'

'Steel Magnolias' actresses Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Shirley MacClaine, Dolly Parton, and Daryl Hannah (1989) Aaron Rapoport / Contributor/Getty
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In 1989, Feild starred alongside Julia Roberts, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, and Daryl Hannah in the chick-lit film Steel Magnolias. The film is based on Robert Harling's 1987 play of the same name and follows a group of women living in a small-town Southern community and how they cope with the death of one of their own.
Starring in 'Soapdish'

Whoopi Goldberg, Teri Hatcher, Kevin Kline, Sally Field, Elizabeth Shue, Robert Downey Jr. and a stand-in for Cathy Moriarty, pose together for the American comedy film Soapdish at the Paramount Studios Bonnie Schiffman Photography / Contributor/Getty
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Following Steel Magnolias, Field went on to play a soap actor star by the name of Celeste Talbert, who is struggling to keep up with the downfall of her beloved show in the movie Soapdish. Starring alongside a-listers like Whoopi Goldberg, Cathy Moriarty, Robert Downey Jr, Kevin Kline, Elisabeth Shue and Paul Johansson, Field certainly shined.
Raising 'Forrest Gump'

Tom Hanks and Sally Field in 'Forrest Gump', 1994 Sunset Boulevard / Contributor/Getty
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Best known for the iconic line, "Life's a box of chocolates, Forrest. You never know what you're gonna get." Field shined in the role of Ms. Gump (or Mama) in the 1994 Academy Award-winning movie Forrest Gump. Starring alongside Tom Hanks, Field definitely stole our hearts with this one.
Field for congress in 'Legally Blonde 2 Red, White & Blonde'

Cast of 'Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde', 2003 KMazur / Contributor/Getty
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Starring alongside Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Coolidge, Field took on the role of Congresswoman Rudd in the hit sequel Legally Blonde 2 Red, White & Blonde. Rudd (Field) helps lawyer Elle Woods (Witherspoon) in the film and becomes one of her most trusted allies in working toward getting her animal rights ideas on the congress floor.
A TV Land Award winner

2005 Kevin Winter / Staf/Getty; Stephen Shugerman / Stringer/Getty
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In 2005, Field won her first TV Land award. She was honored with the Viewers Choice Award for Little Screen/Big Screen Star for her work in The Flying Nun. This award is designed to commemorate shows now off the air rather than in current production.
Becoming an advocate for bone health

Bone Health Press Conference, 2006 Brian Ach / Stringer/Getty; Desiree Navarro / Contributor/Getty
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In 2006, at the age of 59, Field was diagnosed with osteoporosis and took on a new role as a philanthropist, launching the website BoneHealth.com and a toll-free number (877-BoneHealth) that asks at-risk women to sign a five-step pledge to improve their bone health.
Winning her first Emmy Award

2007 Kevin Winter / Staff/Getty;John Shearer / Staff/Getty
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2007 was a good year for Field because it was the first time she won an Emmy! Field played Nora Walker in the series Brothers & Sisters, which follows the Walker family and their lives in Los Angeles and Pasadena, California. Field starred alongside Dave Annable, Calista Flockhart, Matthew Rhys, Rachel Griffiths and others in this ABC drama.
Writing a tell-all

2018 George Pimentel / Contributor/Getty; George Pimentel / Contributor/Getty
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In 2018, Field released her memoir In Pieces, which follows her decade-spanning career, her mental health struggles, her family and her journey into embracing her own sexuality. “People should tell whatever story they want to tell,” Field told the New York Times. “This is just my story, and it happened the way it happened.”
Going '80 For Brady'

Rita Moreno, Tom Brady, Sally Field, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda attend the premiere of '80 for Brady', 2023 Jon Kopaloff / Stringer/Getty
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Field's most recent film was the hilarious movie 80 for Brady, which follows four women on their way to meet football legend Tom Brady. Field starred alongside Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and, of course, the football "GOAT" himself. Oddly enough, though, Field wasn't 80 at the time of filming, she was only 75! (Click through to read about how Rita Moreno defies age)