NEWSSally Field Jokes Her Son Being on 'Steel Magnolias' Set 'All the Time' as a Baby 'Probably' Made Him Gay
Sally Field is a mom to three grown sons.
May 11 2026, Published 3:11 p.m. ET
Sally Field made a playful joke about her son Samuel's sexuality while fondly looking back on her time filming 1989's Steel Magnolias in a new interview.
"He was on the set all the time, and my friends took care of him," Field recalled of her boy, who was 6 months old at the time. "Sam has always said, that's probably why he's gay."
Sally Field Made 'Steel Magnolias' Joke About Her Son
Sally Field called working on 'Steel Magnolias' a 'wonderful, wonderful experience.'
Field is a mother of three. She shares Samuel, 38, with her second husband, Alan Greisman, and her two older sons, Peter and Eli, with her first husband, Steven Craig.
Steel Magnolias is a classic film centered on a tight-knit group of women in small-town Louisiana, featuring an all-star cast that includes Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts and Shirley MacLaine.
Sally Field's Joke About Her Son's Sexuality Sparked Conversation
Sally Field is a mother to three sons.
Fans praised the Mrs. Doubtfire actress for her unfiltered remarks about her son, flooding the comments section with admiration.
"Honestly? Fair, Sam, fair. He's lucky to have such a wonderful, loving mom. 💜," one fan wrote, while another added, "I mean, it’s why I’m gay, so… 🤷🏻♂️."
"That much iconic greatness in one movie would make any man gay 💖💁♂️🫶😅," a third quipped.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Sally Field's Son Samuel Has Spoken About His Life Growing Up in the Spotlight
Sally Field's son Samuel spoke out about how his life influenced his mom's career in a personal essay.
Samuel has opened up about growing up in Hollywood and how his coming out inspired dialogue in his mom's 2022 film, Brothers & Sisters.
"I grew up so connected to my mom that I can trace my life through her career. While she shot Mrs. Doubtfire, I built model airplanes and hung them all over our rented house in San Francisco. During Forrest Gump, I would get to buy something at the toy store in Beaufort, S.C.," he wrote in an essay published in February 2023. "Later, a frank, heartfelt conversation about my queerness was used verbatim for a scene between her and Matthew Rhys. Still waiting on a retroactive writing credit on that, if I'm being perfectly honest."
Sally Field Said She Was 'Most Proud' of Her Sons
Sally Field called her three sons 'productive human beings.'
Sally has never hesitated to gush over her children, calling them the three things she was "most proud" of during a 2012 speech.
"They are kind and loving, productive human beings. Each very different from the other," she told the crowd. "Sam was given colors and innate perceptions that his big brothers just simply don’t have. He’s a gentler nature, and it is a gift. Nature made Sam, it wasn’t a choice. He was always, always Sam, glorious, smart, funny, sweet Sam."
