Sally Field recalls struggling to understand Robert Mitchum on set

Sally Field revealed that one of the most memorable aspects of working with late Hollywood icon Robert Mitchum was trying to understand what he was saying.

Speaking on the Talking Pictures podcast, the 79-year-old actress reflected on her experience filming the 1967 Western The Way West, where she starred alongside Mitchum and Kirk Douglas.

Field admitted that conversations with Mitchum often left her completely confused.

“Mitchum would sit with me, and I never could understand a single word he said,” she recalled. “I didn't know what he was saying!”

Sally Field Jokes About Robert Mitchum's Mumbled Conversations

Looking back on their time together, Field said she frequently pretended to follow along despite having little idea what her co-star was talking about.

“I don't know if he was stoned or what, but I couldn't string two words together,” she joked. “And I would go, ‘Yeah, yeah,’ and laugh and pretend I understood most of what he said.”

Despite the communication difficulties, Field said she quickly developed affection and admiration for Mitchum.

“I adored him,” she said, adding that she could occasionally grasp the general meaning of what he was trying to communicate.

Field noted that the veteran actor was welcoming and supportive during a period when she was still finding her place in the entertainment industry.

A Remark That Stayed With Her for Decades

Among the many conversations she struggled to decipher, one comment from Mitchum stood out.

According to Field, he once told her, “You know, you're one of us.”

At the time, the young actress was unsure what he meant.

“I thought, did I understand that right?” she said, explaining that the remark wasn't delivered as a compliment but more as a simple statement of fact.

Field said she didn't fully appreciate the significance of the comment until years later.

Their Reunion Brought New Meaning to Mitchum's Words

The actress recalled meeting Mitchum again in the early 1980s at the People's Choice Awards.

When she approached a table where the actor was seated, Mitchum immediately recognised her.

“He stood up, and we looked at each other, and he said, ‘I told you so,’” Field remembered.

The exchange helped her understand what he had meant years earlier—that she belonged in the acting community and had earned her place in Hollywood.

From ‘The Way West’ to Hollywood Success

Field went on to become one of Hollywood's most celebrated performers, earning Academy Awards for her roles in Norma Rae and Places in the Heart.

Mitchum, who died in 1997 at the age of 79, remains one of the most influential actors of Hollywood's Golden Age.

During the podcast, host Ben Mankiewicz described Mitchum's comment as one of the greatest compliments an actor could receive.

“This is a community, and you're in it. You belong here,” Mankiewicz said.

Field agreed, finally recognising the meaning behind the words that had stayed with her for decades.