Sally Field, one of Hollywood’s most respected and beloved actresses, has had an illustrious career filled with iconic roles and memorable moments. At 76, she continues to impress fans with her talent, resilience, and honesty. Over the years, she has starred in numerous films and television series, earning a reputation as one of the most versatile actresses of her generation.

With classics like Steel Magnolias, Gidget, The Flying Nun, Smokey and the Bandit, Forrest Gump, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Erin Brockovich, she has captured hearts across generations. Her performance in Steel Magnolias, especially the emotional funeral scene, stands out as a powerful example of her ability to portray deep, conflicting emotions with grace and authenticity. Despite her onscreen success, Sally’s early life was marked by hardship.

Raised in a working-class entertainment family in Pasadena, California, her childhood was anything but glamorous. In her memoir, she revealed painful personal experiences, including abuse by her stepfather and undergoing a secret abortion at 17. These experiences shaped her into a woman of remarkable strength and humility. Today, Sally continues to work in the industry, most recently playing Janice in the 2020 series Dispatches From Elsewhere and Jessie Buss in the 2022 hit show Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, which dramatizes the 1980s rise of the Los Angeles Lakers. Given her continued presence in the spotlight, it’s no surprise that she occasionally makes headlines during interviews. One such moment occurred on the December 1 episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, where a fan asked her a cheeky question about her worst on-screen kiss. Initially hesitant, Sally looked around the room and laughed, wondering aloud whether she should actually reveal the name.

Encouraged by host Andy Cohen, she finally caved and delivered a surprising answer—her worst on-screen kiss was with none other than Burt Reynolds, her former boyfriend and co-star in Smokey and the Bandit. When Cohen followed up, pointing out that the two were dating during the film, Field confirmed they were. However, she noted that their kissing scenes were not enjoyable for her, admitting she had to “look the other way” during filming because kissing him “just was not something he really did for you.”

She also added, with a touch of humor, that Reynolds tended to drool quite a bit during their on-screen kisses, which only made the experience more awkward. Despite their romantic relationship off-screen, which lasted about five years after they met during the 1977 filming of Smokey and the Bandit, their physical chemistry on screen apparently didn’t live up to expectations. Burt Reynolds, who passed away at 82 from cardiac arrest, wrote about Sally in his memoir But Enough About Me, expressing regret over how things ended between them. He admitted he wished he had done more to make their relationship work. But Sally had a different perspective. In a March interview with Variety, she revealed that she had not spoken to Reynolds for the last 30 years of his life. She made it clear that cutting ties was a conscious and necessary decision, saying, “He was not someone I could be around. He was just not good for me in any way.” She went on to explain that Reynolds had created a version of their relationship in his mind where she played a more significant role than she actually did. “He had somehow invented in his rethinking of everything that I was more important to him than he had thought, but I wasn’t. He just wanted to have the thing he didn’t have. I just didn’t want to deal with that.” Sally’s candid reflections offer a rare glimpse into the complex reality behind celebrity relationships, reminding us that what we see on screen doesn’t always reflect the truth behind the scenes. Her willingness to speak honestly about both her career highs and personal challenges is just another reason why fans continue to admire her after all these years.