Sally Field admits she was 'numb' when she won her first Oscar

Sally Field has revealed she felt "numb" when she won her first Academy Award.

The 79-year-old actress has reflected on receiving the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the 1979 film Norma Rae, admitting the moment was overwhelming after years of struggling to break into the industry.

Speaking to Parade, Field recalled how difficult it had been to transition from television to film in the early stages of her career.

"I worked so hard to get out of television. People wouldn't let me in a room to audition. It was such a battle to even get onto a list," she said. "But I told myself that I had the power to change within myself. I had to get better. Sybil was the beginning of the transition."

Field went on to land her first major box office success in 1977 with Smokey and the Bandit, before taking on the title role in Norma Rae.

By the time of the 1980 Academy Awards, she said she had already received widespread recognition for the performance.

"By the time I got to the Oscars, I was sort of numb. I couldn't feel anything, and it was almost like too much," she shared. "That whole year was almost too much for me to calculate, to put in my head. I really am not good at that part."

Field added, "I'm not good at doing the whole glam stuff."

The Mrs. Doubtfire star later won the Best Actress award again in 1985 for her role in Places in the Heart, in which she played Edna Spalding.

In her second acceptance speech, Field acknowledged the contrast with her first win, telling the audience, "The first time I didn't feel it, but this time I feel it - and I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!"

Field will next be seen in the Netflix mystery drama Remarkably Bright Creatures, which is set for release on Friday.