Sally Field Defends Julia Roberts Against 'Steel Magnolias' Director's Harsh Treatment

Sally Field recounts how the cast supported Julia Roberts during the filming of 'Steel Magnolias,' where the late director Herb Ross was notably hard on her.

Sally Field revealed in an interview that the late director Herb Ross was 'very, very, very hard' on Julia Roberts during the filming of 'Steel Magnolias'.
Field, along with co-stars Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah, and Olympia Dukakis, rallied around Roberts, who was the youngest and a newcomer.
Ross's intense criticism of Roberts was unwarranted, with Field noting that 'some people just need to have somebody they pick on'.
Dolly Parton once confronted Ross with her characteristic humor, leaving him without a leg to stand on, according to Field.
The 1989 film, which earned Roberts an Oscar nomination, was celebrated for its portrayal of women's relationships and resilience in a small Southern community.