Sally Field Admits Her ‘Natural’ Self Wasn’t Overtly Sexual While Filming the 1979 Drama ‘Norma Rae’
Sally Field admitted that portraying “overt sexuality” did not come naturally to her while filming the 1979 hit Norma Rae.
The actress revealed that director Martin Ritt gave her an unexpected Hollywood icon to channel during a romantic scene.
The Director Gave Sally Field a Suggestion
Field was filming a romantic scene with co-star Beau Bridges when Ritt noticed she was having trouble connecting with the more sexually experienced side of her character.
“My natural [self] would certainly not be overt sexuality,” Field told author Isaac Butler in an interview for The Criterion Channel.
“Marty came up to me while this doing this,” she said. “We did one take, and then he said, ‘You know what? This is what I want you to do, and the only thing I want you to do is think [Patricia Neil] [in] Hud.'”
‘A Perfect Image For Me’
Patricia Neal starred opposite Paul Newman in Ritt’s 1963 Western Hud, playing housekeeper Alma Brown.
Her performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Field said Neal’s portrayal gave her a different way to approach the scene and allowed her to open up sexually.
“It was such a perfect image for me because she is so profoundly earthy in it,” Field shared. “She doesn’t care what she looks like. She doesn’t have any cute little things she does. She’s not trying to attract attention. She just is. And her degree of sexuality is also very radiant, and that’s why he can’t stay away from her.”
