Washington, May 4 -- Veteran actor Sally Field has opened up about the overwhelming emotions surrounding her first Academy Award win, revealing she felt "sort of numb" when her name was announced for Best Actress in 1980.

In a recent interview, the 79-year-old reflected on her journey leading up to the milestone moment, which recognised her performance in the 1979 drama Norma Rae, People magazine reported.

"It's hard to describe how all of that had gone down," Field said, recalling the night she secured her first Oscar.

Field described the years prior as a struggle to transition from television to film. "I worked so hard to get out of television. People wouldn't let me in a room to audition. It was such a battle to even get onto a list...