Sally Field Is Happier Than Ever After ‘Owning’ Herself

Sally Field will be forever remembered for her iconic 1985 Oscar speech in which she told the crowd, “I can’t deny the fact that you like me. Right now, you like me!” But these days, the actress, 76, has found peace in being truly appreciated by someone else: herself. “If you are together inside yourself, owning yourself, and the pieces are put together, you keep great company with yourself,” said the recent recipient of the SAG Life Achievement Award, who confides that she’s finally learned how to stop worrying and embrace joy in both her professional and personal lives.

Though she’s achieved fame and accolades throughout her career, including three Emmys for her TV work for Sybil, ER and Brothers & Sisters, plus two Academy Awards for 1979’s Norma Rae and 1984’s Places in the Heart, the 80 for Brady actress has been open about battling crippling self-doubts in the past. “We are all always coming of age, no matter what age we are,” she shared with Closer, adding, “You feel awkward and outside of the party. ‘Do I get to come in now?’ You feel isolated.”

But Sally notes that one of her mottoes is “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” For her,

that means becoming a genuinely happy person. “For many years, Sally used to feel like she needed to prove herself, but no longer,” a friend says. “She doesn’t have to impress anyone anymore. She’s comfortable in her skin today, and she recognizes her worth. All her dreams really have come true.”

She still enjoys working, but it’s a privilege to be able to pick and choose her projects. “Sally’s not ready to retire, but being at home curled up in her favorite chair reading a good book is heaven for her,” explains the friend.

The recent SAG award that honored her 60-year career was a high honor, but it’s Sally’s offscreen life that the star most enthusiastically cherishes. “The three things I’m most proud of in my life are my sons,” Sally said of Peter Craig, 53, Eli Craig, 50, and Sam Greisman, 35. “She gushes about them any chance she gets,” adds her friend, who notes that Sally also dotes on her five grandchildren, who range in age from 8 to 24.

Though Sally, who had a high-profile romance with Burt Reynolds in the ’70s, is twice divorced, she is content with the path her life has taken. She notes she doesn’t need a partner to live a full, rewarding life. “I’m really happy with how I am, and I really don’t want to pick up [anyone’s] underwear in the morning, you know?” quipped the star.

While the actress is not actively shopping for a man, she wouldn’t take a pass on new love if someone interesting came into her life. “If it fell in her lap, she wouldn’t dismiss it,” her friend shares, noting that “her kids, especially Sam, are always trying to get her to date.” But, as another pal assures Closer, “if her kids and grandkids are healthy and happy, all is right in Sally’s world.”

Still, she is always open to growing and welcoming even more happiness into her life. “Yes, I believe I have learned a great deal,” Sally said, “but I know that the things I really want to know I am yet to discover — and I don’t even know what the questions are yet!