Sally Field sets new record as she wins Emmy for Netflix's "wonderful" drama hailed a "must-see"

Sally Field has made Emmys history at 79 by becoming the oldest actress to win in the limited or anthology series or TV movie category for Netflix's acclaimed drama movie Remarkably Bright Creatures.

An adaptation on the 2022 novel of the same name by Shelby Van Pelt, the TV movie directed by Olivia Newman, who co-wrote it with John Whittington, follows Washington state aquarium cleaner Tova Sullivan (Fields) as she takes young drifter Cameron Cassmore under her wing.

In our four-star review, Digital Spy hailed Remarkably Bright Creatures as "wonderful" and a "must-see", branding Field "one of Hollywood's most reliable heartbreakers".

Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 – including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV

The cast for the film also includes Lewis Pullman as Cameron, Twin Peaks star Joan Chen as Janice Kim, Kathy Baker as Mary Ann Minetti, Beth Grant as Barb Vanderhoof, Sofia Black-D'Elia as Avery, and Colm Meaney as Ethan Mack. Alfred Molina voices Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus who narrates the movie.

Accepting the award for her performance as Tova last night (14 September), Field said: "This was not supposed to supposed to happen! Okay, I gotta talk really, really quick."

"I have been so grateful and so proud to be a part of this community — the arts — for 62 years or something," she continued.

"With art, we matter. Our voices matter. Our diversity, our unique story telling matters," she added. Field also appeared to reference the upcoming merger of Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery when saying: "We can't let those voices be silenced or compromised or merged."

Last week, Remarkably Bright Creatures won the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for Outstanding Movie, and was also nominated in the costumes category.

Field was previously awarded three Emmys for 1977's TV movie Sybil, her guest stint on ER in 2001, and her role of Nora Walker in family drama Brothers & Sisters in 2007.

She's also a two-time Oscar winner, having triumphed in the Best Actress category in 1980 for Norma Rae and 1985 for Places in the Heart. She was more recently nominated for an Oscar for Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, released in 2013.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is streaming on Netflix.

Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.

The new edition of Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Ariana Grande, is here! Buy Ariana Grande in newsagents or online.

Reporter, Digital Spy

Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy. 

Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).