Sally Field was an actress.
Sally Margaret Field ( born November 6 , 1946 ) is an American actress and director . Field began her career on television , starring on the sitcoms Gidget ( 1965 -- 66 ) , The Flying Nun ( 1967 -- 70 ) , and The Girl with Something Extra ( 1973 -- 74 ) . Field received further nominations for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for Murphy 's Romance ( 1985 ) and Steel Magnolias ( 1989 ) .