For decades, audiences knew Sally Field as the warm, determined star of Gidget, The Flying Nun, Norma Rae, Steel Magnolias and Forrest Gump. But behind the familiar smile was a far more complicated story.

When Field published her memoir In Pieces in 2018, she revealed painful experiences from her childhood that she had carried for decades, including sexual abuse by her stepfather. She later explained that those early experiences affected how she understood love, fear and relationships as an adult.

Field also wrote candidly about Burt Reynolds. Their chemistry in Smokey and the Bandit made them one of Hollywood’s most memorable couples, but Field described their real relationship as loving at times yet also complicated and hurtful.

Writing the memoir forced her to revisit old journals, letters and memories she had avoided for years. Field said she was frightened by some of what she might discover, but ultimately chose to tell her story rather than continue keeping those parts of her life hidden.

Now 79, Field continues acting. In a recent interview, she reflected on her six-decade career and how overcoming the limitations placed on her early in Hollywood helped her become the acclaimed dramatic actress audiences know today.

For fans who grew up watching Sally Field, her story reveals something the cameras rarely showed: the cheerful young television star was fighting private battles long before Hollywood understood just how strong she really was.