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In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Sally Field and Burt Reynolds were one of Hollywood’s hottest power couples. Behind the scenes, things weren’t as rosy as the glossy red-carpet snapshots made it seem. While Field’s career was on the upswing, Reynolds apparently took everyone opportunity he could to downplay her accomplishments, leading up to her 1980 Oscar win for Norma Rae.
In an exclusive People excerpt from the upcoming book, 50 Oscar Nights by Dave Karger, Field shared that her boyfriend “was not happy” with the fact that she was drawing all of the attention in the relationship. “He really was not a nice guy around me then,” she told Karger. He tried to discourage her from going to the Cannes Film Festival, an important event in the lead-up to awards show season each year. Field said in the book, “He said, ‘You don’t think you’re going to win anything, do you?’”
By the time Oscars season rolled around, the Smokey and the Bandit actor decided that he “was not going to go” as her date, even though she was nominated for Best Actress. Jaw drop! Field was somewhat embarrassed that her boyfriend couldn’t be bothered to support her on the biggest night of her career. It was actor David Steinberg and his then-wife, Judy, who decided to make it a special day for her.
“Then David said, ‘Well, for God’s sakes, we’ll take you.’ He and Judy made it a big celebration. They picked me up in a limousine and had champagne in the car. They made it just wonderful fun.” And of course, she won the Oscar. When she was on that stage, Field made sure to slight Reynolds, just as he had slighted her. “And on a personal note, I’d like to thank my mother and my sister for holding me together and just plain old holding me,” she said in her acceptance speech. “And my kids, Peter and Eli, for being my constant inspiration, and no matter how many awards I win, if it weren’t them, I wouldn’t be worth a damn. Thank you very much.”
Field doesn’t have many fond memories of Reynolds, who died in 2018 at the age of 82. She revealed in her 2018 memoir, In Pieces, that she “didn’t speak to him for the last 30 years of his life.” She certainly didn’t need to keep that friendship up anyway; Field had a successful career without his help — her talent and hard work got her to the top of Hollywood.
Before you go, click here to see actresses over 50 who are more successful now than ever.
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