Sally Field's 3 Sons: Meet Peter, Eli, and Sam
- Celebrity
-
- UPDATED JUNE 03, 2025
by Kristine Bowman
730 shares
Sally Field is a proud mom to three sons: Peter, Eli, and Sam. Over the years, The Flying Nun star has spoken openly about her deep love for her children. During her speech at the 2012 Human Rights Campaign annual national dinner, Field said, “The three things I am most proud of in my life are Peter, Eli, and Sam. My sons.” The Oscar-winning actress added, “They are kind and loving, productive human beings. Each very different from the other.”
Field shares her two older sons, Peter and Eli, with her first husband, Steven Craig, and her youngest, Sam, with her second husband, Alan Greisman. She became a mother in her early 20s and has reflected on that experience with honesty. In 2023, Field revealed that she once apologized to her older sons for being a “young parent” but acknowledged how much they inspired her. “I had two little kids to take care of,” she said. “I didn’t have the luxury to throw my hands up and say, ‘Forget this whole acting thing — I’m going to open a boutique in Pasadena.’ My kids were fuel.” She added, “More times than not, they literally picked me up when I felt crushed.
Peter Craig, 55
Sally and Steven welcomed their first son, Peter, on November 10, 1969. “At the very end of the second year of The Flying Nun, before the third even began, I was pregnant with my first child,” Field recalled in 2016, sharing that her focus quickly shifted to motherhood.
Peter grew up splitting time between his mom’s movie sets and his father’s commune, a childhood he described as “full of extremes.” In a 1997 interview, he said he knew early on that his parents weren’t like other moms and dads. He even accompanied Field to the 8th annual People’s Choice Awards in 1982.
Peter eventually channeled his unique upbringing into a creative career. He became a novelist and attended the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop. His books Hot Plastic and The Martini Shot were published in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
Eli Craig, 53
Field and Steven welcomed their second son, Eli, on May 25, 1972. Like his older brother, Eli pursued a career in storytelling—this time through film. He’s a writer and director, known for the cult-favorite Tucker & Dale vs. Evil and 2017’s Little Evil starring Adam Scott and Evangeline Lilly. He also directed an episode of his mom’s show Brothers & Sisters.
Eli married actress Sasha Williams—best known for her role as the Yellow Ranger on Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue—in 2004. The couple has two sons. In a 2008 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Field shared that Eli told her she had been “a good and loving mom,” though he also critiqued her parenting style. “When he was grown, he told me I didn’t discipline him enough,” she said with a laugh. “Can you believe it? I said, ‘I’d like you to try disciplining the kind of boy you were. You were absolutely uncontainable!’
Sam Greisman, 37
Sam, born on December 2, 1987, is Field’s youngest son and her only child with Alan Greisman. The two share an especially close bond. In 2023, Sam wrote a personal essay reflecting on coming out as gay to his mother and the strength of their relationship.
“I’ve always been a momma’s boy — painfully, occasionally ashamedly so. Perhaps too obsessed with her,” he wrote. “Maybe it’s because I was the youngest by sixteen years. Maybe it’s because I was a shy little kid and my mom was a safe space.” He added, “Maybe it’s because gay men feel a certain undeniable affection for award-winning actresses. Who knows! Whatever it is, we’ve always been incredibly close.”
Sam recalled how his life was often intertwined with his mother’s career, from visiting her on the set of Mrs. Doubtfire in California to tagging along while she filmed Forrest Gump in South Carolina. Even during her busy years on Brothers & Sisters, Field rearranged her schedule to prioritize time with him.
Sally Field Reflects on Motherhood and Marriage
In a candid conversation with Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the Wiser Than Me podcast, Field opened up about her personal life at 77. When asked about the possibility of getting married again, the two-time Oscar winner—who was previously married to Steven Craig and Alan Greisman—replied with honesty and humor.
“I was never really good at picking a partner for myself,” she admitted. When Louis-Dreyfus asked if she could see herself getting married again, Field laughed: “I can’t imagine. It would certainly all depend on meeting somebody I wanted to spend more than 37 seconds with. And I can’t imagine that either!
