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Sally Field Recalls Burt Reynolds Tried to Block Her 'Norma Rae' Role

Her new account frames the 1979 film as the moment she claimed her independence.

Overview

  • Sally Field told People that Burt Reynolds tried to stop her from taking Norma Rae, called the character a “whore,” and threw the script at her.
  • She said she met director Marty Ritt anyway, made the film, and later won the Best Actress Oscar for the performance.
  • Field added that Reynolds urged her to skip the Cannes premiere and then refused to attend the Oscars with her.
  • She called the decision to do Norma Rae a turning point that helped her stand up for herself, and she ended the relationship in 1982 after five years and four films together.
  • Field described Reynolds as both loving and frightening and likened parts of him to her abusive stepfather, sharing the reflections while promoting Netflix’s Remarkably Bright Creatures.