Sally Field Reflects on Dolly Parton’s Legacy at 2026 Emmy Awards

Sally Field paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Dolly Parton, calling her an angel during the 2026 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California. Field mourned the loss of her “Steel Magnolias” co-star, who passed away on August 25 after a short battle with cancer. Parton was 80 years old.

“If there are truly angels on earth, then we just lost one, Dolly Parton,” Field confessed.

Parton’s life journey, from poverty in the Smoky Mountains to the pinnacle of country music fame, was acknowledged as she was honored at the 78th Emmy Awards alongside director Rob Reiner.

Reflecting on her experience working with Parton, Field expressed her admiration and affection: “It was my great, good fortune to have worked with Dolly in a film called ‘Steel Magnolias,’ and over the years I never stopped loving her though we lived very far apart. I adored her from day one, how could you not?”

Field described Parton as “genuine, humble, supportive, and blisteringly funny” and emphasized her impactful personality.

“She was genuine, and humble, supportive and blisteringly funny with a bawdy sense of humor that would send any rude guy looking for a place to hide,” Field said.

Reba McEntire also honored Parton, performing her 1983 hit “Appalachian Memories.” Parton was surrounded by loved ones at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center when she died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee.

Rob Reiner was also commemorated during the awards. Jamie Lee Curtis recalled how generous, kind, and humorous Reiner was, and highlighted his recent posthumous Emmy win for “The Bear.” The win marked the longest gap between acting Emmys, a record previously held by his father, Carl Reiner.

“He now holds the record of 48 years for the longest gap between acting Emmys, which was previously held by his father Carl Reiner at 37 years,” Curtis told the crowd through tears.

Tributes also included recognition for actress Catherine O’Hara. Together with Macaulay Culkin, Dan Levy, and Annie Murphy, the actors remembered O’Hara’s warmth and humor. Culkin urged the audience to cherish their mothers.

“There are all kinds of words I could use to describe Catherine,” Culkin said. “She was encouraging, she was warm, she was funny. But the word that I think of is mama.”

He added, “By the way, call your mother tonight. For real.”