Legendary actress and Academy Award winner, Sally Field, admitted that Burt Reynolds refused to support her career as she was catapulting to fame.
Field candidly discussed her complicated relationship with Reynolds in Dave Karger’s upcoming book, 50 Oscar Nights, according to People. She reportedly noted that Reynolds was “not happy” when she began gaining success for her role in “Norma Rae.” “He really was not a nice guy around me then,” the 77-year-old star revealed, according to the outlet.
So 70’s Los Angeles, so good.
Willie Nelson, Sally Field, Burt Reynolds, Richard Pryor & Robin Williams at The Laugh Factory in 1977. pic.twitter.com/v0QUO9OAqG
— Michael Warburton (@MichaelWarbur17) January 2, 2024
Field went on to discuss the tumultuous time that she was preparing to go to the Cannes Film Festival and Reynolds blatantly refused to throw his support behind the success she was seeing as a result of her career-changing role in “Norma Rae,” People reported.
“He did not want me to go to Cannes at all,” Field said in the book, according to People.
The famous actress spoke of her high-profile relationship and revealed that in addition to his lack of encouragement at the time, Reynolds also tried to diminish her success with criticism.
“He said, ‘You don’t think you’re going to win anything, do you?'”
She recalled the frustrating situation.
“When the Oscars came around, he really was not a nice guy around me then and was not going to go with me,” Field said.
Watching the new documentary on Burt Reynolds on the CW now called I Am Burt Reynolds and they completely erased Dinah Shore from his life history. We all know this upsetting me. How can this be yet a whole Sally Field section. What. pic.twitter.com/8vhzTyPn09
— Dominique Lessing (@missclassicfilm) December 31, 2023
Field admitted she “didn’t know what to do” when she realized he wasn’t going to accompany her, People reported. The disheartened star leaned on her friends’ support, and ultimately followed the advice of comedian David Steinberg and his wife at the time, Judy Marcione. Field said they swooped in for the save by celebrating her achievements.
“Then David said, ‘Well, for God’s sake, we’ll take you.’ He and Judy made it a big celebration,” Field said in the book, according to People. (RELATED: ‘I Really Was Kind Of Alone’: Jennifer Aniston Gets Candid About Her Relationship Struggles)
“They picked me up in a limousine and had champagne in the car. They made it just wonderful fun,” she said.
Reynolds dated Field for five years. A documentary made about his life included his regret that he hadn’t married and had kids with Field. “I screwed up,” he said in the documentary, according to People. He died in 2018 at the age of 82.