The Untold Story of Sally Field in Norma Rae
Sally Field’s unforgettable performance in Norma Rae (1979) proved she was more than just a TV actress—it made her a Hollywood legend. She played a strong, determined textile worker fighting for better working conditions, and the role earned her an Academy Award. Audiences were captivated by her performance.
But behind the scenes, Sally’s journey was full of challenges—self-doubt, emotional struggles, and even physical pain. She pushed herself to the limit, and in the end, Norma Rae became one of the most powerful films about workers’ rights.
A Movie About the Fight for Workers’ Rights
The story of Norma Rae is still relevant today. It reminds us that many of the rights we take for granted—weekends, fair wages, healthcare, and workplace safety—exist because of unions. Even those who aren’t in unions have benefited from their fights.
Sally’s incredible portrayal of Norma Rae inspired future powerful performances, such as Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich and Meryl Streep in Silkwood. But to get to this point, Sally had to go through personal and professional struggles that changed her life.
Burt Reynolds Tried to Stop Her
Before Norma Rae, Hollywood still saw Sally Field as The Flying Nun or Gidget. People didn’t take her seriously as an actress, and she knew she needed a dramatic role to prove herself. When the script for Norma Rae came along, she saw it as her big chance.
But there was one big problem—her boyfriend at the time, Hollywood superstar Burt Reynolds.
Burt didn’t want Sally to take the role. He told her, “No lady of mine is gonna play a whore.”
Sally tried to explain that the character wasn’t a prostitute and that it was just acting, but Burt mocked her. He said, “Oh, so now you’re an actor? You’re letting your ambition get the better of you.”
Despite his cruel words, Sally refused to back down. She knew this was her opportunity to step out of his shadow and build a career on her own.
Watching the Movie for the First Time
When Sally finally got to see the finished movie, she felt a mix of excitement and fear. Sitting next to her mother in a small screening room at Fox Studios, she worried she wouldn’t be able to hold an audience’s attention for two hours.
“What flashed through my head was the fear that I wasn’t enough to hold an audience for two hours,” she later admitted.
A Marriage Proposal—At the Worst Possible Time
Sally’s relationship with Burt had become more and more toxic. She described how he constantly tried to control her, dictating what she could and couldn’t do. His disapproval of Norma Rae was just another example of how he tried to hold her back.
Despite this, she finished the movie. Then, on the last day of filming, Burt showed up on set with a diamond ring—and proposed.
Sally later said the moment felt completely wrong. She didn’t accept his proposal and could only say, “Thank you.”
After the movie wrapped, Sally felt herself changing. The confidence she had gained from playing Norma Rae started spilling into her personal life. Burt didn’t like it. He reacted with “shocked disapproval,” but Sally was beginning to realize she didn’t need his approval anymore.
She Worked in a Real Textile Mill
The movie was based on the true story of Crystal Lee Sutton, a textile worker from Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. Sutton had been one of the key figures in the real fight to unionize a J.P. Stevens textile mill in the 1970s.
To prepare for the role, Sally spent time working in a real textile factory. She wanted to understand what the workers went through every day.
“I worked in the mill every day for two weeks—not a full shift, but it felt like it,” she recalled. “Two hours in that weaving room felt like eight hours anywhere else. The vibration of the machines was like being on a ship—it made you seasick.”
Even the film crew was shocked by the conditions. “I don’t know how they do it,” they would say.
Filming in Opelika, Alabama
Although the real-life events happened in North Carolina, Norma Rae was filmed in Opelika, Alabama. The local textile mill became the setting for the movie, and real workers played extras.
For the town of Opelika, having Hollywood come to visit was a huge deal. People were excited, hoping to catch a glimpse of Burt Reynolds, who did visit a few times. But in the end, it was Sally who left a lasting impression.
“She was a lovely lady,” said Warner Williams, a local who worked with the Opelika Chamber of Commerce. “She wore old, ragged clothes and hung around the mill for days before filming to prepare for her character.”
The Real Norma Rae—Crystal Lee Sutton
Crystal Lee Sutton, the woman who inspired Norma Rae, was born in 1940 and grew up in a town where textile workers were treated as second-class citizens.
“All my life, textile workers were looked down on,” she once said. “The managers’ kids were the cheerleaders, the smart ones, the ones who got new clothes. We weren’t.”
By the time she was 21, Crystal had two children and had already suffered the heartbreak of losing her first husband. In 1973, she was fired from her job for trying to organize a union. At the time, she was making just $2.65 an hour folding towels.
Her fight for workers’ rights was immortalized in Norma Rae.
The Famous “UNION” Scene
One of the most powerful moments in the movie is when Norma Rae, after being fired, writes “UNION” on a sign, stands on a table, and holds it up. One by one, her co-workers turn off their machines in silent support.
This moment wasn’t just Hollywood drama—it really happened.
Crystal Lee Sutton described the real event: “I took a piece of cardboard and wrote UNION in big letters. I stood on my work table and turned it around slowly. The workers started cutting their machines off, one by one. Suddenly, the whole plant was quiet…”
The Oscar-Winning Moment
When Sally Field won the Academy Award for Norma Rae, it was proof she had broken free from her old TV image. But Burt Reynolds wasn’t happy for her.
He had refused to attend the ceremony with her. When she mentioned going to the Cannes Film Festival, he dismissed it, saying, “What the hell do you intend to do there? You don’t expect to win anything, do you?”
Luckily, her friends David and Judy Steinberg stepped in, taking her to the Oscars in a limousine with champagne. They made the night a celebration, even if Burt couldn’t.
More Than 40 Years Later…
Today, Norma Rae remains one of the greatest films about workers’ rights. Sally Field’s performance continues to inspire, and the story of Crystal Lee Sutton lives on.
But behind that legendary performance was a woman who fought through doubt, pain, and heartbreak to create something unforgettable.
Like the real Norma Rae, Sally Field had to fight for what she wanted—and she won.
What do you think of this amazing story? Let me know in the comments below!
