Sally Field Had A Brief Stint On A Dating Gameshow Before Her Big Break

It's difficult to remember a time before Sally Field was a major Hollywood star. In addition to her Oscar-winning roles in "Norma Rae" and "Places in the Heart," she participated in iconic films like "Forrest Gump" and blockbusters like "The Amazing Spider-Man" (a role Field hated). But before she debuted on the big screen, Field got her start on TV. Just as her acting career was beginning with "Gidget,"  Field also made an appearance on "The Dating Game."

This classic TV game show was so popular that it's appeared in various incarnations in the decades since its premiere, including a 2021 reboot, "The Celebrity Dating Game."  Even before it had "celebrity" in the name, however, the show contained a mix of established and up-and-coming individuals.  Field appeared in an episode that aired on October 6, 1966, almost six months after the final "Gidget" episode was broadcast. 

Per the format of the show, Field was given an opportunity to question three contestants who were hidden from her view. The first contestant trained Field in the basics of surfing to prepare her for "Gidget," the second was a high school classmate whom Field briefly dated, and the third was a restaurant manager who had never met the actor. After answering a series of light-hearted questions, including asking the competitors to make the sound of a "gigantical, convincing kiss," Field opted to go with Bachelor No. 3.

In a dramatic conclusion to her guest appearance on "The Dating Game," Sally Field and Bachelor No. 3 were whisked away to get on a helicopter and embark on an evening of dinner and musical entertainment. Decades later, the actor revealed a surprising detail about what transpired after the cameras were done rolling. "I refused to go on the date," Field explained to "The Talk" in 2016 (via Broadway World). "It probably would have changed my life. Honestly, he was probably the one!"

Besides trying to make decisions about her love life, Field was also at a crossroads as an actor. While fans of classic TV today are familiar with "Gidget," the show had trouble connecting with its target audience and got canceled. Before she participated in "The Dating Game," Field had shot her first film, "The Way West," but it wouldn't be released until 1967. 

Around this time, Field was given a script for "The Flying Nun." Since she wasn't enthusiastic about the character, Field initially refused the bespoke role. Then she second-guessed her decision. "Maybe I don't know enough to know what's good, or maybe I have too many voices in my head to have any clear opinions at all," Field later wrote in her memoir "In Pieces." Concerned her career would be over before it really began, she yielded to pressure and took the job.

Although Sally Field didn't find love through "The Dating Game," the show was a source of common ground between Field and her old flame Burt Reynolds. The two actors had a five-year romance that started in 1977. But Reynolds nade an appearance on "The Dating Game" in 1967.  While his seminal role in "Deliverance" was then five years in the future, he had an established TV career, with roles on "Gunsmoke" and "Hawk."  

Reynolds didn't get picked to go on the date and instead got jade cufflinks.  When he met Field, however, he was able to take a more active role. Besides advocating for Field to be cast in "Smokey and the Bandit,"  Reynolds asked her on a date soon after she arrived to work on the film. Decades after their split, Reynolds maintained strong feelings for Field, even though she didn't reciprocate them. Field claimed Reynolds had imbued their relationship with a significance that never existed. 

Reynolds also differed with Field in terms of how he viewed his acting career. "I didn't open myself to new writers or risky parts because I wasn't interested in challenging myself as an actor," Reynolds explained in "But Enough About Me" (via The Hollywood Reporter). "I was interested in having a good time." In contrast, Field wanted to work harder and learn more, a strategy which led her to "Norma Rae" and an Oscar.