It's been more than 20 years since Sally won her last Academy Award®, and while she is thrilled to have won, she says they symbolize more than red carpets and acceptance speeches.
"Now that I've been doing this long enough in my life, and I've won a number of awards … it really honestly is [about] the work," she says. "It's great to be accepted and appreciated and respected by your peers. But when you look back on it now, it is the memories of having the opportunity to do that kind of work. … That's what you remember."
When Sally looks at the Oscar she won for Norma Rae, she says she remembers shooting the movie and working with the director, Martin Ritt. "That's what changed me and moved me forward," she says.
Although Sally has acted in many memorable films—like Steel Magnolias and Forrest Gump—she can't name one that she's most proud of. "I always like to say, 'I hope I haven't done it yet,'" she says. "I don't allow myself to look back and cherish any particular character or film. I want to do that later when I'm on the porch drooling in a cup. Then I'll go, 'Oh, God, remember that one?'"
