Sally Field's son thinks he is "probably gay" because of Steel Magnolias.

The 79-year-old actress had a "wonderful, wonderful experience" making the 1989 movie about the power of female friendship when her youngest child Samuel was just a baby, and she admitted her youngest child - whose father is her second husband Alan Greisman - has often joked his sexuality is a result of hanging out with so many women, including Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts, Daryl Hannah and Olympia Dukakis, on set.

Sally told People magazine about "a picture that I have hanging in my little office" of herself with Shirley, Dolly, and Julia: "We're looking off because it was the wrap party, and there was a big band, so it's all of our tight headshots, and on my chest is my little son Sam.

"[He] was six months old, I'm holding his head because I'm trying to save his ears because it was loud. He was on the set all the time and my friends took care of him. Sam has always said that that's probably why he's gay."

Sally - who also has Peter and Eli with first husband Steven Craig - felt grateful to have such a close bond with her cast mates on the movie.

She said: "We all just completely adored each other, and we would go shopping on the weekends, all together -- even Dolly sometimes. We'd go to the market, we played games, we'd get together at somebody's house."

Samuel has previously spoken about his close bond with his mom and how he used to go to work with her.

He wrote in 2023: "I grew up so connected to my mom that I can trace my life through her career. While she shot Mrs. Doubtfire, I built model airplanes and hung them all over our rented house in San Francisco. During Forrest Gump, I would get to buy something at the toy store in Beaufort, S.C.

"Later, a frank, heartfelt conversation about my queerness was used verbatim for a scene between her and Matthew Rhys. Still waiting on a retroactive writing credit on that, if I'm being perfectly honest."

Back in 2012, Sally praised all three of her sons, singling out "glorious" Sam separately.

Speaking at the Human Rights Campaign annual national dinner, she said: "The three things I am most proud of in my life are Peter, Eli and Sam -- my sons. They are kind and loving, productive human beings. Each very different from the other.

"Sam was given colors and innate perceptions that his big brothers just simply don't have. He's a gentler nature, and it is a gift. Nature made Sam, it wasn't a choice. He was always, always Sam, glorious, smart, funny, sweet Sam."