I’ve always admired Sally Field—she’s a legendary actress with an incredible career spanning decades. At 78, she has shared the screen with many leading men, which means she’s also had her fair share of on-screen kisses.
While she initially hesitated to reveal who gave her the worst on-screen kiss, she finally spilled the secret in a candid interview.
Sally Field is widely regarded as one of the most talented and versatile actresses of her generation. Her unforgettable performances in films and television series have captivated audiences for years. From Steel Magnolias—particularly her heartbreaking funeral scene—to iconic roles in Forrest Gump, Gidget, The Flying Nun, and Smokey and the Bandit, she has left an undeniable mark on Hollywood.
Born in Pasadena, California, Sally grew up in a working-class family with ties to the entertainment industry. However, her early years were far from ideal. In her memoir, she revealed that she suffered abuse from her stepfather and secretly underwent an abortion at 17. Despite these hardships, she has remained a warm and gracious person.
Even now, Sally remains active in the industry. In 2020, she starred in Dispatches From Elsewhere, and in 2022, she portrayed Jessie Buss in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, which explores the personal and professional lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers. Given her continued presence in Hollywood, it’s no surprise that she occasionally gives interviews.
During a December 1 episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Sally was put on the spot by a fan who asked about her worst on-screen kiss.
At first, she laughed nervously, saying, “Oh boy. Do I really have to name names?”
“Yes, you do,” host Andy Cohen urged.
After a moment of hesitation, Sally finally revealed the unexpected truth: her worst on-screen kiss was with none other than Burt Reynolds—her former boyfriend.
Shocked, Cohen quickly asked, “But weren’t you dating at the time?”
Sally explained that while filming Smokey and the Bandit, she had to “look the other way” because kissing Reynolds “just wasn’t something he really did for” her. She even admitted that he tended to drool during their on-screen kisses.
Sally and Burt first met on the set of Smokey and the Bandit in 1977 and dated for nearly five years. Despite their high-profile romance, their relationship ultimately didn’t last.
Before his passing in 2018 at the age of 82, Reynolds expressed deep regret over how things ended between them. In his memoir, But Enough About Me, he wrote that he wished he had done more to salvage their relationship.
Sally, however, had a different perspective. In a 2022 interview with Variety, she explained why she chose to cut ties with Reynolds in the last 30 years of his life.
“He wasn’t someone I could be around,” she said. “He just wasn’t right for me. Somehow, he convinced himself that I meant more to him than I actually did. All he wanted was something he no longer had—and I didn’t want to be responsible for that.”