Sally Field gets frank about people who misquote her ‘You like me’ Oscar speech
When Sally Field accepted the award for best actress at the 57th Academy Awards in 1985, she delivered one of the most quotable speeches in Oscars history.
Over time, however, a memorable line from her speech has been frequently misquoted as, “You like me. You really, really like me.”
At the 1985 ceremony, Field, who won her second Oscar for her performance in the historical drama “Places in the Heart,” actually said: “I can’t deny the fact that you like me. Right now, you like me!”
As Variety’s latest cover star, Field opened up in an interview published on Wednesday about how she feels when she hears her words misrepresented.
“Sometimes I want to punch them in the nose, but mostly because they don’t ever say the context of what I said before,” she explained.
Field added, “When I’m there talking about it, I say I haven’t had an orthodox career, that this has been a struggle for me, but for this one moment in time, I have to allow myself to know and feel that you like me.”
Although Field previously won her first Oscar in 1980 for her leading role in “Norma Rae,” she said in her speech at the time that she felt truly accepted in the world of Hollywood after her second win.
The actor had previously struggled to be invited to audition for film roles after starring in the 1960s sitcoms “Gidget” and “The Flying Nun.”
She told Variety that she could’ve been “more eloquent” to convey her appreciation, but added, “To me, what mattered was for that one moment in time I did it. I did it. I landed it, and I thanked them for feeling it.”
In the famous speech, Field clutched the Oscar and told the crowd: “I’ve wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn’t feel it, but this time I feel it.”
The audience, including “Places in the Heart” co-star John Malkovich and fellow nominee Sissy Spacek, responded with roaring applause.
Field, wearing a tiered black gown, thanked the crowd one final time and bowed before leaving the stage.
During her interview with Variety, Field shared that she was on “autopilot” after she won an Oscar for “Norma Rae,” and she did not allow the moment to sink it.
“I told myself that if this happens again to me, I must take the time to feel it because it’s a hard industry,” she said. “And it will diminish you and your talent if you don’t let yourself feel the good things. Because believe me, you really feel the bad things, and you take them to heart, and you own them and they fester. So then I knew you have to also allow yourself to feel the glory of a good thing.”
Now, the actor’s two Oscars and three Emmys sit on the bookshelves in her TV room, along with pictures of her kids and other accolades from her career.
“They just sort of fade into the woodwork. It’s just part of your life,” she said.
Following her 1985 win, the prolific actor has continued to land a wide range of roles and received another Oscar nomination for her 2012 film “Lincoln.”
Currently, she stars as Lakers owner Jerry Buss’ mother in the HBO sports series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.” She will soon share the screen with Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Rita Moreno in a comedy titled “80 for Brady,” which features the previously retired NFL legend Tom Brady as well.
