Sally Field (born 1946)

Sally Field, born on November 6, 1946, in Pasadena, California, is the American actress who won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, for Norma Rae (1979) and Places in the Heart (1984).

Field began her career on television in the 1960s, starring in the sitcoms Gidget and The Flying Nun — light-hearted roles that made her a household name but also typecast her as a perky TV star. Determined to be taken seriously as a dramatic actress, she fought for tougher parts and proved herself one of the most respected film performers of her generation, in a career that has now spanned six decades.

Who is Sally Field

Sally Field’s path to stardom began on the small screen. In 1965 she landed the title role in Gidget, playing the spirited teenage surfer girl, and two years later she headlined The Flying Nun as Sister Bertrille, a novice nun who could fly when the wind caught her habit. The shows made her famous, but they also boxed her in: for years, audiences and casting directors saw her as a lightweight comedy performer.

Field refused to accept that label. She studied the craft seriously, took on challenging television movies, and gradually won the industry’s respect as a dramatic actress. Her persistence paid off in one of the most admired career transformations in Hollywood history — from sitcom star to two-time Oscar winner.

Two Academy Awards

Field won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice. Her first Oscar came for Norma Rae (1979), in which she played a Southern textile worker who becomes a union organizer — a performance that announced her as a major dramatic talent. Her second came for Places in the Heart (1984), in which she portrayed a widowed Texas farm woman struggling to keep her family together during the Great Depression.

Her acceptance speech for that second Oscar produced one of the most quoted moments in Academy history. Overcome with emotion, Field exclaimed “You like me!” to the applauding audience — a line that has been remembered, repeated, and affectionately imitated ever since.

Memorable film roles

Beyond her Oscar-winning performances, Field built a rich and varied filmography. She starred opposite Burt Reynolds in the hit action-comedy Smokey and the Bandit, and brought warmth and wit to the beloved ensemble drama Steel Magnolias. A new generation of moviegoers came to know her as Mrs. Gump, the devoted mother in Forrest Gump, and later as Mary Todd Lincoln, the grieving First Lady, in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln.

Her ability to move between comedy and drama, between blockbusters and prestige pictures, has kept her working at the highest level of the industry for decades — a rare feat for any performer, and one that testifies to both her talent and her determination.

How to mark Sally Field’s birthday

Watch one of her great performances. November 6 is a fine excuse to revisit Norma Rae, Places in the Heart, Forrest Gump, or Steel Magnolias — or to discover them for the first time.

Revisit her famous Oscar moment. Look up her 1985 acceptance speech and the beloved “You like me!” line — a reminder that even the biggest stars can be genuinely moved by recognition.

Appreciate the long game. Field’s career is a case study in reinvention: she started as a sitcom star and refused to let that define her. Her birthday is a good day to think about what it takes to change how the world sees you — persistence, craft, and courage.

Key facts about Sally Field

Sally Field was born on November 6, 1946, in Pasadena, California. She is the American actress who won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, for Norma Rae (1979) and Places in the Heart (1984). She began her career on television in Gidget and The Flying Nun. Her films include Smokey and the Bandit, Steel Magnolias, Forrest Gump — in which she played Mrs. Gump — and Lincoln — in which she played Mary Todd Lincoln. Her 1985 Oscar acceptance speech, with its exclamation “You like me!”, became one of the most quoted moments in Academy history.

Frequently asked questions

When was Sally Field born? Sally Field was born on November 6, 1946, in Pasadena, California.

How many Academy Awards has Sally Field won? Two — both for Best Actress, for Norma Rae (1979) and Places in the Heart (1984).

What television shows did Sally Field start in? She began on TV in Gidget and The Flying Nun.

Who did Sally Field play in Forrest Gump and Lincoln? She played Mrs. Gump in Forrest Gump and Mary Todd Lincoln in Lincoln.

What is Sally Field’s famous Oscar line? Accepting her second Academy Award in 1985, she exclaimed “You like me!” — one of the most quoted moments in Academy history.

Why it matters

Sally Field’s career matters because it is a story of determination beating typecasting. She could have spent her career as a sitcom star; instead, she insisted on being taken seriously, put in the work, and earned two of the highest honors in acting. Her performances — from the union organizer Norma Rae to the devoted Mrs. Gump — have become part of American film culture, and her famous Oscar speech endures as a moment of pure, unguarded joy.

See all of the day’s observances on November 6 Holidays, Observances and History.