News | Entertainment
20 Jan 2026 9:43
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Oprah Winfrey has recalled the "big mistake" she made while interviewing Sally Field

    Early in her career, she was urged by bosses to ask the actress an awkward question about her co-star Burt Reynolds, whom she starred with in the likes of 'Smokey and the Bandit' - while she also dated the late big screen icon for a number of years


    Appearing on Rob Lowe's 'Literally' podcast, she said: "My big mistake:

    I asked her, 'Does Burt sleep with his toupee on?'

    "I even say now, I cringe to even think that I asked that question. But I asked it because the producers are like, 'You have to ask, you have to ask, you have to ask. That's what everybody wants to know.'

    "And so I asked it, and she went cold on me. She shut down, and I could not get in again."

    Now, Oprah - who has gone onto become one of the biggest names in television with a great reputation for her interviews - admitted she shouldn't have followed that line of questioning, and she "deserved" to be shut down during their chat.

    She added: "It was like, 'Whoa, Sally went cold on me on live TV'.

    "I deserved it, I deserved it, I deserved it, 'cause that is such an inappropriate question."

    'Wayne's World' star Rob - who worked with Sally on 'Brothers & Sisters'

    - reflected on his own experiences alongside the 74-year-old actress.

    He joked: "She's one of the most amazing actors I've ever known, but when Sally goes cold, it's like Khrushchev in the Cold War. She will bury you."

    Oprah, 67, has opened up about the embarrassing incident in the past, and she back in 2005 she described the experience as "awful".

    She said at the time: "Sally Field used to date Burt Reynolds and I asked this awful question. It was a bad question. I wouldn't do it today."

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     19 Jan: Roger Allers, co-director of The Lion King, dies aged 76
     18 Jan: Teddi Mellencamp is "really sick" - months after she revealed her cancer had become "undetectable"
     18 Jan: Ashton Kutcher is "so proud" of his ex-wife Demi Moore in The Substance
     18 Jan: Lo Bosworth has given birth two weeks early
     18 Jan: Chase Infiniti botched Leonardo DiCaprio's beard when she cut it whilst they bonded before shooting One Battle After Another
     18 Jan: A shark has been named after Kelly Clarkson
     18 Jan: Jennifer Lawrence's marriage is kept "alive" with a compromise to her struggle with timekeeping
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Don't be surprised if the coaching nous of Scott Robertson is lured to the UK More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    As prices for everyone's favourite sweet treat soar - chocolate makers are searching to find cheaper alternatives More...



     Today's News

    Business:
    As prices for everyone's favourite sweet treat soar - chocolate makers are searching to find cheaper alternatives 9:27

    Politics:
    Donald Trump links Greenland takeover threat to Nobel Peace Prize snub, amid tariffs row with Europe 8:37

    Health & Safety:
    A new weight loss drug may come to market, but it's not the best one out there 8:17

    Law and Order:
    A third shark attack in Sydney in just 24 hours has forced authorities to close 20 beaches until further notice 8:17

    Rugby League:
    To the perilous NFL coaching desk.. 8:07

    Business:
    The head of one of largest mortgage broking firms is questioning an interest rate hike by our largest bank 8:07

    Education:
    China's population declines for a fourth straight year amid record low birth rates 7:57

    Law and Order:
    One person's in critical condition after an incident in Taranaki 7:57

    Education:
    Students and schools are feeling the strain of a growing nationwide teacher shortage 7:27

    Lower South Island:
    Race leader Tom Sexton is eyeing another victory on a favoured third stage in cycling's Tour of Southland 7:27


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd