Sally Field arrived in Hollywood as a young actress with a public image built on lightness, but the role that would define her life had nothing to do with the camera. She became a mother in her early twenties, while starring in The Flying Nun, and later said that her children were the reason she kept working. She did not have the luxury of giving up acting, she explained, because she had two little kids to care for. Her sons were her anchor during the chaotic rise of her career, and she has repeatedly called them her proudest accomplishment.
At an event celebrating equality, she described Peter, Eli, and Sam as the kindest, most loving human beings she knew. Her eldest son, Peter Craig, was born on November 10, 1969, at the height of her early fame. His upbringing was split between two very different worlds: his mother’s movie sets and his father’s unconventional commune. That unusual foundation shaped him into a creative and resilient adult.
Today Peter is a successful screenwriter and novelist whose work has reached global audiences. In 2022 he co-wrote Top Gun: Maverick, which brought the iconic fighter pilot back to the screen and earned him an Academy Award nomination for best adapted screenplay. He also co-wrote The Batman and the crime drama The Town, establishing himself as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after writers. Peter navigated the strange burden of being the child of a celebrity.
He once said that being the child of a famous person is a curious and difficult thing, and that writing was the best way he found to make sense of it all. For Sally, his professional achievements were a source of deep pride, but what mattered more to her was the father he became. Peter has three children, two daughters from his first marriage and a son from his second. Sally once reflected that watching Peter parent made her wish she had possessed that kind of comfort and love when she was a young mother herself.
His compassion as a father became, in her eyes, the true highlight of his life. Eli Craig, born May 25, 1972, brought a different kind of energy into the family. Sally remembers him as an uncontainable child, full of curiosity, creativity, and mischief. That boundless spirit eventually carried him into filmmaking as a writer and director with a taste for unconventional stories.
His best-known work, Tucker and Dale Versus Evil, is a horror comedy that turns the classic slasher movie formula on its head and became a cult favorite. He later directed Little Evil, a Netflix original about a stepfather who suspects his new stepson might be demonic, blending humor, heart, and supernatural chaos in a way that reflected his genre-mixing instincts. He married Sasha Williams in 2004, an actress known for playing the Yellow Ranger, and together they raised two sons. Sally has spoken openly about her parenting mistakes, including the way she struggled to discipline Eli when he was young.
But seeing him as a father now, she admires how he balances a demanding career in entertainment with being present and devoted to his own family. She joked that Eli would probably say she was a good and loving mom, but that he had also reminded her of her flaws, like not disciplining him enough. Those honest conversations became a testament to the strong and open bond they share. Sam Greisman, her youngest son, was born December 2, 1987, during her second marriage to Alan Greisman.
Sixteen years younger than his oldest brother, Sam had a childhood that looked very different from Peter’s and Eli’s. He describes himself as a mama’s boy, and says that growing up, Sally was his safe space and his world. He once wrote that he was shy and attached to his mother’s hip, and that she was everything to him. Their bond became especially meaningful when Sam came out as gay.
Sally did not simply accept the news; she celebrated it. Sam later shared that she did not even bat an eye, and that if anything, she was overjoyed. Being gay was just one more thing she loved about him. Her unconditional support gave him the confidence to live openly and honestly.
That support extended beyond their home. In 2012, Sally received the Ally for Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign in recognition of her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. At the ceremony, Sam introduced his mother with heartfelt stories of her acceptance, and Sally spoke of her pride in him, saying he had always been smart, funny, sweet Sam. In 2019, the two partnered again to advocate for the Equality Act, filming messages urging Americans to support equal protections for the LGBTQ+ community.
Their shared activism demonstrated not only their close relationship but also a common commitment to making the world fairer for everyone. There was also a playful side to their relationship. In 2018, Sally tried her hand at matchmaking by tweeting at Sam’s Olympic crush, Adam Rippon, and the viral post charmed the internet. The matchmaking never came together, but the moment showed a warm and humorous mother-son bond that many found endearing.
Sam has said consistently that his mother’s love gave him the confidence to simply be himself. Each of Sally Field’s three sons followed a different path. Peter built a career writing some of the biggest films in modern Hollywood. Eli made a name for himself through inventive, genre-defying filmmaking.
Sam found his own voice as an advocate, supported by a mother who turned acceptance into public activism. Through every stage of their lives, Sally’s role as a mother remained central, even as her own fame never faded. The films and the awards defined her public legacy, but the men her sons became were the evidence of the love she poured into raising them.