Sally Field Revealed Her Worst On-Screen Kiss — and the Costar’s Name Made the Story Much More Personal

When Asked to Name Her Least Favorite Kissing Partner, Field Hesitated Before Choosing Burt Reynolds, the Man Who Had Once Been Both Her Famous Costar and Her Real-Life Partner

Sally Field has shared the screen with some of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors during a career spanning decades.

But when she was asked to identify her worst on-screen kiss, one name immediately made the conversation more complicated.

Burt Reynolds.

He was not simply another actor with whom Field had filmed a romantic scene.

He had also been one of the most famous romantic partners of her real life.

The Question Came During a Television Appearance

Field appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in December 2022.

During the program, she was asked a playful question from a fan.

Who had been her least favorite on-screen kissing partner?

Field did not answer immediately.

“Oh boy. Shall I really name names here?” she said.

Then she did.

Her Answer Was Burt Reynolds

The response surprised Cohen.

After all, Reynolds was not just a former costar.

Field and Reynolds had been involved in a highly publicized relationship away from the cameras.

For audiences who remembered their chemistry together, the answer created an unexpected contrast between the glamorous image and Field’s actual memory.

Her Explanation Was Definitely Not Romantic

Field gave a simple reason for why Reynolds ranked at the bottom of her list.

There had been too much “drooling.”

The remark transformed what could have been a nostalgic Hollywood memory into something much less glamorous.

It also left Cohen visibly surprised because of the history between the two actors.

Field and Reynolds Met While Making Smokey and the Bandit

The pair met while working together on Smokey and the Bandit in 1977.

The film became closely associated with both stars.

Their chemistry helped turn them into one of the most recognizable screen pairings of the era.

That chemistry also extended beyond the movie set.

Their Relationship Lasted Roughly Five Years

Field and Reynolds became romantically involved during a period when both were major Hollywood figures.

To the public, their relationship could easily appear glamorous.

They were successful.

They were attractive.

They appeared together in popular films.

And their relationship became part of their celebrity image.

But Field Later Described a Much More Difficult Reality

Years after the relationship ended, Field spoke much more openly about what those years had been like for her.

The public image did not necessarily match her private experience.

What viewers remembered as a celebrated Hollywood romance was, in Field’s telling, a relationship that had not been good for her.

The Difference Between Screen Chemistry and Real Life Was Significant

Actors can look convincing together on screen.

They can make audiences believe in attraction, affection, and intimacy.

That does not mean their relationship away from the cameras follows the same story.

Field’s comments about Reynolds offered a particularly striking example.

The Worst-Kiss Question Opened a Bigger Door

At first, the question was lighthearted.

It was the kind of celebrity anecdote designed to produce an amusing answer.

But Field’s response carried additional meaning because of everything that had happened between her and Reynolds.

The awkward kiss was only one small piece of a much larger and more complicated history.

Field Later Said They Had Not Spoken for Decades

Speaking to Variety in March 2022, Field discussed the final years of Reynolds’ life.

She said the two had not spoken during the last 30 years of his life.

That detail challenged any assumption that they had remained close after their romance ended.

The relationship belonged firmly to an earlier chapter of her life.

Reynolds Later Spoke About Their Romance With Regret

In later years, Reynolds publicly reflected on Field and the relationship they once shared.

He expressed regret about losing her.

His recollections sometimes presented their romance as an especially important relationship in his life.

That version of the story was emotional and nostalgic.

Field Did Not Share His Idealized Memory

Her perspective was considerably different.

She did not accept the romantic version of their past that developed in some later discussions of their relationship.

For Field, the experience had been more difficult and much less sentimental.

That distinction became especially important after Reynolds began publicly revisiting their romance.

Two People Can Remember the Same Relationship Very Differently

That is one of the clearest lessons in Field’s comments.

One person may remember a relationship primarily through nostalgia.

The other may remember the emotional strain.

Public fascination can make the contrast even more complicated.

Fans often see only photographs, interviews, and screen appearances.

The Hollywood Image Was Powerful

Field and Reynolds looked like a classic celebrity couple.

Their work together gave fans a version of their relationship that seemed natural and exciting.

Successful movies helped strengthen that image.

But audiences were seeing only the public-facing portion of their lives.

Field’s Later Comments Complicated That Familiar Story

By speaking openly about the relationship, she added details that did not fit comfortably with the nostalgic version.

She did not present their years together as an uncomplicated great romance.

Instead, she made clear that the relationship had affected her in ways the public may not have understood at the time.

The On-Screen Kiss Became Almost Symbolic

The “drooling” comment was funny on its own.

But because Reynolds had also been her real-life partner, the anecdote carried another layer.

It reminded viewers that what looks romantic on film may have felt completely different to the people involved.

Field’s Hesitation Before Answering Was Understandable

“Shall I really name names here?”

The question suggested she understood immediately that her answer could revive discussion about a very personal chapter of her life.

Choosing Reynolds meant doing more than criticizing a movie kiss.

It meant placing a former partner directly into the story.

Andy Cohen Immediately Recognized the Personal Connection

His surprise reflected what many viewers were likely thinking.

Field and Reynolds had actually dated.

Surely, one might assume, that would make the kissing scenes easier or more enjoyable.

Field’s answer showed why assumptions based on celebrity relationships can be misleading.

Smokey and the Bandit Helped Define Their Public Image

The 1977 film remains one of the works most closely associated with the pair.

Their performances helped create an enduring image of them together.

That image became so powerful that their real relationship was often remembered through the same romantic lens.

But A Movie Romance Is Carefully Constructed

Scenes are written.

Moments are rehearsed.

Lighting is arranged.

Multiple takes are filmed.

The final version audiences see is edited to create a particular emotional effect.

Real relationships do not have those protections.

Field’s Story Exposed the Gap Between Those Two Worlds

In front of the camera, the couple could appear effortlessly connected.

Behind that image, Field remembered difficulties that were far less appealing.

That gap is part of what makes her later remarks so revealing.

The Relationship Became Part of Hollywood History

Even decades later, people continued asking Field about Reynolds.

The fact that a simple question about kissing could immediately return to their relationship shows how strongly the two remained linked in public memory.

Celebrity relationships can become stories that continue long after the people themselves have moved on.

Field Had Clearly Moved On From That Chapter

Her statement that they had not spoken for the last 30 years of Reynolds’ life made that clear.

Whatever their connection had once been, it did not continue as a close friendship in later years.

The public may have continued pairing their names.

Their private lives had taken different directions.

Reynolds’ Later Regret Did Not Rewrite Field’s Experience

His feelings about losing the relationship were his own.

Field was entitled to remember those years differently.

Later nostalgia does not automatically transform a difficult relationship into a happy one.

That was one of the clearest distinctions in her public comments.

Field Refused to Let Someone Else Define the Relationship for Her

That may be one of the most significant aspects of her later reflections.

A famous romance can develop its own mythology.

Fans remember the photographs.

Headlines emphasize passion.

Costars become associated forever.

But Field retained the right to describe how the relationship had actually felt to her.

Celebrity Nostalgia Can Simplify Complicated Relationships

Time often softens public memories.

People remember successful movies.

They remember attractive couples.

They remember humorous interviews.

The difficult parts become easier to overlook.

Field’s account resisted that simplification.

Her Comments Were Not Simply About a Bad Kiss

The television anecdote became interesting precisely because it connected to something deeper.

It involved a man she had loved.

A man she had worked with.

A relationship that became part of her public identity.

And a relationship she later described in terms very different from the romantic image remembered by many fans.

The Humor Made the Revelation Easier to Hear

“Too much drooling” is a memorable answer.

It is funny.

It is concise.

And it allowed Field to answer the question without turning the television segment into a lengthy discussion about painful history.

Yet viewers familiar with her later comments could understand the additional weight behind the name she chose.

The Relationship Remained Complicated Long After It Ended

Reynolds continued talking about Field in later years.

His reflections kept their romance in the public conversation.

Field’s own comments eventually provided a counterpoint.

She did not want the relationship remembered only through his version.

Hollywood Often Turns Real Relationships Into Legends

That process can begin while the couple is still together.

Photographs create an image.

Movies reinforce it.

Interviews add memorable stories.

Eventually, the public version can feel more concrete than the private reality.

Field’s experience illustrates why those two versions should not automatically be treated as the same.

The Pair’s Chemistry Was Real to Audiences

Whatever happened privately, viewers responded to Field and Reynolds together on screen.

That chemistry became part of the success surrounding their movies.

It helped make their pairing memorable decades later.

But professional chemistry does not prove personal compatibility.

Field’s Comments Made That Difference Clear

An actor can convincingly portray affection for someone with whom their private relationship is difficult.

They can create a memorable romantic moment even when the experience of filming it is far from romantic.

That is part of acting.

Her Least Favorite Kiss Happened With Someone She Actually Knew Intimately

That irony is what made the answer so surprising.

People might expect the worst kissing partner to have been a stranger or a costar with whom she had little connection.

Instead, Field chose the person with whom she had shared one of Hollywood’s best-known romances.

The Answer Changed the Tone of a Playful Question

What started as light entertainment suddenly carried decades of history.

The laughter remained.

But so did the recognition that the relationship behind the answer had been complicated.

That combination made the moment memorable.

Field’s Perspective Became More Important After Reynolds’ Later Comments

When one former partner publicly romanticizes the past, people may assume the other person shares that interpretation.

Field made clear that she did not.

Her experience belonged to her.

And her memories did not have to match Reynolds’ nostalgia.

The Public Romance and Private Reality Were Not the Same Story

One version included movie premieres, successful films, famous photographs, and visible chemistry.

The other included the emotional reality experienced away from the cameras.

Field’s later interviews asked people to recognize both.

Their Separation Did Not End Public Fascination

Decades after their relationship ended, the pair continued to be discussed together.

That is one of the strange consequences of becoming part of an iconic Hollywood pairing.

Audiences preserve relationships long after the people involved have stopped living inside them.

Field Was Able to Tell Her Own Version Years Later

With time, she spoke more openly.

The distance from the relationship allowed her to address it without relying on the glamorous narrative surrounding it.

Her comments did not erase the movies or the chemistry audiences remembered.

They simply added reality to the image.

Her Worst-Kiss Answer Was Funny, but Also Revealing

It reminded viewers that famous movie moments are still created by real people.

Those people have private histories.

They have boundaries.

They have memories that may bear little resemblance to what audiences imagined.

Burt Reynolds Remained an Important Part of Her Story

The relationship lasted roughly five years.

That is not an insignificant period of someone’s life.

The pair also shared major professional experiences.

It is understandable that Reynolds remained connected to Field’s public biography even decades later.

But Importance Does Not Always Mean Happiness

A relationship can profoundly shape someone without being healthy or fulfilling.

It can remain memorable without being something the person wants to relive.

Field’s comments reflected that more complicated reality.

One Short Television Answer Reopened an Entire Hollywood Chapter

Andy Cohen asked for a name.

Field hesitated.

Then she gave one.

Burt Reynolds.

The reason was “drooling.”

But behind that funny explanation sat a much bigger story about fame, screen chemistry, romance, memory, and the difference between public mythology and private experience.

Sally Field’s Revelation Was Ultimately About More Than Kissing

It showed how easily audiences can confuse a convincing movie romance with a happy real relationship.

Field and Reynolds looked memorable together on screen.

They became a famous couple off screen.

For years, that image remained part of Hollywood nostalgia.

But Field’s own recollections offered a different perspective.

They had not spoken for decades before Reynolds died.

She did not embrace his idealized version of their romance.

And when asked decades later to remember her least favorite on-screen kiss, she did not choose an obscure costar.

She chose him.

The answer may have produced laughter, but the history behind it made the moment far more revealing than a simple celebrity anecdote.