Sally Field Never Knew What This Old Hollywood Icon Was Saying To Her (But They Got Along Anyway)

Sally Field is a star with many accolades, yet that wasn't always the case. On the set of the 1967 film "The Way West,"  Field had to do more acting than she expected. On the Talking Pictures podcast in June 2026, she spoke about spending a lot of time alone on that set, in part because it was her first movie. However, she was sometimes joined by her co-star Robert Mitchum, who would try to engage her in conversation. "I would go sit in the dirt, I liked the dirt, it felt good," she half-joked with podcast host Ben Mankiewicz, saying that Mitchum would sometimes join her. 

Field didn't have many deep conversations with Mitchum during those breaks. "I never could understand a single word he said. I didn't know what he was saying ... I couldn't string two words together," the "Steel Magnolias" star admitted. She relied on her acting skills to laugh and agree while pretending to understand. Field clarified that sometimes she got the gist of Mitchum's message, but the key to those disjointed chats was that they made her feel good inside. Field felt Mitchum accepted her, whereas her other costars, Richard Widmark and Kirk Douglas, barely paid attention to her. 

Field recalled that one of the only things Mitchum said to her that she understood clearly was "You know, you're one of us." After briefly wondering what he meant by it and whether she had understood him correctly, Field said she thanked him. Reflecting on the moment, she shared how she appreciated the "Cape Fear" star's words because they weren't overly sentimental. 

Robert Mitchum's prediction about Sally Field was perhaps more accurate than he knew at the time. She had been in "Gidget," but had yet to star in her other breakthrough role, "The Flying Nun." Field had also overcome tragic life events to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry. When she saw Mitchum again in the early '80s, she'd already won her Oscar for "Norma Rae." The two had a full-circle moment sitting across from each other at the People's Choice Awards.  

"He stood up, and we looked at each other, and he said, 'I told you so.'" Field recalled on the Talking Pictures podcast. She said that, looking back on her time with Mitchum and considering his acting talent, she now appreciates how much it meant that he considered her a peer at such an early stage in her career. Field has three Oscar nominations and two wins to go alongside her nine Emmy nominations and three wins for her roles in "Sybil," "ER," and "Brothers & Sisters." 

One potential reason she's earned such impressive credits might be the rule she has to never accept a role in which a woman's main goal is to win a man's romantic attention. A similar high standard is why Field also turned down a role in the classic movie "The First Wives Club." Perhaps Mitchum's belief in her unconsciously guided her quest for challenging roles.