Sally Field Fought for role in Lincoln
Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" opens this Friday and I for one can not wait to see it. I mean when ever I see the print ad's for it I get goose bumps -- and the cast -- OMG - WHAT A CAST!!!!
Imagine my surprise when I found out that Sally Field had to fight for her role in the film. I mean the woman won 2 Oscars (and yes, in one acceptance speech she famously said "You like me, you really like me.") and an Emmy for her work on Brothers & Sisters. How and why did she have to fight for the role?
Well, in 2001 Spielberg acquired the rights to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's book "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln." In 2005 "Lincoln" went into development with Sally Field cast in the role of Mary Todd Lincoln and Liam Neeson in the role of Lincoln. It languished in development for years and finally Neeson backed out of the project.
Enter Daniel Day-Lewis.
After Steven Spielberg cast Day-Lewis in the role he could not envision Sally Field playing opposite him as his wife, due in part by Sally Fields age. Mary Todd Lincoln was 10 years younger than good ole honest Abe and in real life Field is 10 years older than Day-Lewis and 20 years older than Mary was in Lincoln's time.
Spielberg was about to re-cast the role but Field wouldn't give up on the role telling him instead, "I won't let you walk away from me." So Spielberg set up a test for her. Field tested in full costume but by herself, Spielberg put footage of Day-Lewis along side the test and after watching it told her he was moving on.
She was devastated but didn't give in.
Spielberg called her back later that same day and asked if she would travel to New York to test with Day-Lewis. Spielberg had sent Day-Lewis (who was in Ireland) the footage of the test they shot and he had agreed to fly in to test with her. They did an hour long improv and that was that. Soon after Spielberg called to ask her to play Mary.
Field knew her age was a problem but intuitively she felt no one else could bring the character to life. Field's is quoted telling Spielberg:
"I know I have baggage. I know I've been around a very long time and I know you might want to hire, find an actress who doesn't have the kind of baggage that I have, but then they won't have the weight that I have. Then, they won't go toe-to-toe with him. I'll go toe-to-toe with him and he won't blow me down."
Sally Field had fought a good fight and won in the end. Field also said that having to fight for the role helped her find the character because she is naturally a very shy person and Mary was the complete opposite - she had a sense of entitlement, tenacity and boldness. This experience helped her own those qualities.
What an amazing lesson in listening to yourelf, your instincts, and fearlessly pursuing your hearts desire. The key is to never let up or give in. In life there will be struggles and every once in a while we will have to stay our ground and fight to move forward.
Imagine my surprise when I found out that Sally Field had to fight for her role in the film. I mean the woman won 2 Oscars (and yes, in one acceptance speech she famously said "You like me, you really like me.") and an Emmy for her work on Brothers & Sisters. How and why did she have to fight for the role?
Well, in 2001 Spielberg acquired the rights to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's book "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln." In 2005 "Lincoln" went into development with Sally Field cast in the role of Mary Todd Lincoln and Liam Neeson in the role of Lincoln. It languished in development for years and finally Neeson backed out of the project.
After Steven Spielberg cast Day-Lewis in the role he could not envision Sally Field playing opposite him as his wife, due in part by Sally Fields age. Mary Todd Lincoln was 10 years younger than good ole honest Abe and in real life Field is 10 years older than Day-Lewis and 20 years older than Mary was in Lincoln's time.
Spielberg was about to re-cast the role but Field wouldn't give up on the role telling him instead, "I won't let you walk away from me." So Spielberg set up a test for her. Field tested in full costume but by herself, Spielberg put footage of Day-Lewis along side the test and after watching it told her he was moving on.
She was devastated but didn't give in.
Spielberg called her back later that same day and asked if she would travel to New York to test with Day-Lewis. Spielberg had sent Day-Lewis (who was in Ireland) the footage of the test they shot and he had agreed to fly in to test with her. They did an hour long improv and that was that. Soon after Spielberg called to ask her to play Mary.
Field knew her age was a problem but intuitively she felt no one else could bring the character to life. Field's is quoted telling Spielberg:
"I know I have baggage. I know I've been around a very long time and I know you might want to hire, find an actress who doesn't have the kind of baggage that I have, but then they won't have the weight that I have. Then, they won't go toe-to-toe with him. I'll go toe-to-toe with him and he won't blow me down."
Sally Field had fought a good fight and won in the end. Field also said that having to fight for the role helped her find the character because she is naturally a very shy person and Mary was the complete opposite - she had a sense of entitlement, tenacity and boldness. This experience helped her own those qualities.
What an amazing lesson in listening to yourelf, your instincts, and fearlessly pursuing your hearts desire. The key is to never let up or give in. In life there will be struggles and every once in a while we will have to stay our ground and fight to move forward.
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