Steven Craig: The Little-Known Story of Sally Field’s First Husband

Steven Craig is best known as Sally Field’s ex-husband and the father of two successful Hollywood talents, Peter Craig and Eli Craig. Although he has largely stayed away from public attention, his connection to the award-winning actress and their family’s journey continues to attract curiosity. From his marriage to Sally Field in 1968 to their divorce in 1975, Steven’s life offers an interesting glimpse into the personal history behind a famous entertainment family. While his former wife and sons built successful careers in acting, screenwriting, and filmmaking, Steven maintained a comparatively private lifestyle, leaving many details of his personal background undisclosed.

Quick Bio

Who Is Steven Craig?

Steven Craig, also known as Steve Craig, is an American private individual best known for his former marriage to award-winning actress Sally Field and his role as the father of screenwriter Peter Craig and filmmaker Eli Craig. Unlike his former wife and sons, Steven has never established a prominent public career in Hollywood, which explains why relatively little information about his personal background is available. Published biographical accounts describe him as a construction contractor, while a 2005 Los Angeles Times profile of his son Peter offered a more personal picture of his life, describing him as someone who lived outside the traditional Hollywood environment. Steven’s connection to the entertainment industry is therefore primarily through his family rather than through acting, directing, or producing. His marriage to Sally Field placed him in the public record during the early years of her acting career, but he largely remained away from celebrity attention after their relationship ended. Over the years, interest in Steven has continued because his sons developed successful careers in the entertainment industry, making their family background a subject of public curiosity.

Background in Construction and His Private Life

Steven Craig’s professional background is generally described as construction contracting, a detail recorded in biographical profiles of his son Peter. However, there is no comprehensive public account of his business history, the companies he may have worked for, or the projects he completed. His life appears to have followed a different direction from the entertainment career pursued by Sally Field and later by their children. A particularly revealing account came from a 2005 Los Angeles Times profile of Peter Craig, which described Steven as having lived in a commune in Oregon and later providing his son with practical guidance during a difficult period in his teenage years. The article also reported that Steven had an interest in writing and produced a considerable amount of written work, although he did not establish himself as a published professional author. These details provide a glimpse into his interests and personality without establishing a complete biography. It is important to distinguish between documented information and assumptions: Steven’s precise educational history, early employment, financial circumstances, and current professional activities have not been reliably disclosed. His private lifestyle has meant that most available information comes from interviews and profiles concerning his family rather than from interviews or public statements of his own.

Marriage and Relationship with Sally Field

Steven Craig’s relationship with Sally Field began before she became one of America’s most recognized actresses. The two married in September 1968, during a formative period in Field’s professional life. At that time, she was already known to television audiences through productions such as Gidget and The Flying Nun, while her career was still developing toward the dramatic roles that would later bring her major awards. Their marriage brought together two people whose lives would eventually take very different public paths. Sally continued to build her acting career, while Steven maintained a much more private existence. Their relationship produced two sons, Peter and Eli, who would later establish their own identities in writing and filmmaking. The marriage did not last, and the couple separated in 1973 before their divorce was finalized in 1975. Although the details of their private disagreements have not been comprehensively documented, their separation became an important turning point in the family’s history. Field later discussed aspects of her early relationships and family life in interviews, offering some insight into that period while also acknowledging Steven’s preference for privacy. Their marriage remains a significant part of both their personal histories, particularly because it established the family connection that continues to interest readers researching Steven Craig.

Parenthood and Family Life

Fatherhood is one of the most significant publicly documented aspects of Steven Craig’s life. He and Sally Field welcomed their first son, Peter Craig, on November 10, 1969, followed by their second son, Eli Craig, on May 25, 1972. Although their parents eventually separated, both boys maintained relationships with their father and developed individual careers as adults. Peter’s experiences growing up between two very different family environments became particularly relevant to his later creative work. In a 2005 interview and profile, Peter discussed his upbringing, describing the contrast between his mother’s Hollywood surroundings and his father’s more unconventional lifestyle. He also recalled how Steven helped him during his difficult teenage years by encouraging him to leave an unproductive environment and take a physically demanding construction job in Oregon. That experience became an important part of Peter’s personal development. Eli, meanwhile, pursued a career in filmmaking and writing, eventually becoming known for his work in comedy and horror. The family also includes Sam Greisman, Sally Field’s youngest son from her second marriage to film producer Alan Greisman. Sam is therefore Peter and Eli’s maternal half-brother, not a child of Steven Craig. These family relationships help explain why Steven’s name frequently appears in searches concerning Sally Field’s children and their professional achievements.

Supporting His Son Peter Through a Difficult Period

One of the most revealing accounts of Steven Craig’s relationship with his children concerns his efforts to help Peter during his teenage years. Peter experienced difficulties during adolescence, including problems at school and exposure to an environment that did not provide the direction he needed. According to the Los Angeles Times profile published in 2005, Peter eventually left high school at the age of 16. His father responded by taking him to Oregon, where he arranged for him to work in construction. Peter described the experience as physically demanding, involving early mornings, coffee, and a demanding daily routine. Steven’s approach was practical rather than connected to Hollywood opportunities or professional entertainment networks. He believed his son needed discipline, responsibility, and a different environment. Peter later reflected on the experience with an understanding of why his father had taken that approach. The construction work helped him develop a stronger sense of responsibility and contributed to a significant change in his direction. He subsequently pursued education and creative writing, eventually attending the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop. This episode provides unusually detailed insight into Steven’s parenting and demonstrates that his influence on Peter extended beyond simply being his father. It is also one of the clearest documented examples of Steven playing an active role in his son’s personal development.

Life After His Divorce from Sally Field

Following the end of his marriage to Sally Field in 1975, Steven Craig remained largely outside the public spotlight. Sally continued her professional development and later became one of the most celebrated actresses of her generation, while Steven maintained a comparatively private lifestyle. Field subsequently entered a relationship with actor Burt Reynolds before marrying film producer Alan Greisman in 1984. Her second marriage lasted until 1994 and produced her third son, Sam Greisman. Steven’s life after the divorce is less extensively documented, but interviews involving his children indicate that he remained a meaningful figure in their lives. Peter’s recollections of his father’s guidance during adolescence demonstrate that their relationship continued beyond the years when Steven and Sally were married. Sally Field also discussed Steven in connection with her memoir, In Pieces, which was published in 2018. In an interview about the book, she explained that their son Eli had been concerned about how his father’s story would be presented. She also said that Steven received the material and responded generously, despite being a very private person who did not ordinarily seek public attention. This account offers a rare indication of how the former couple approached their shared family history many years after their divorce. Steven’s current activities, relationship status, and residence have not been reliably established in public sources.

Peter Craig: His Elder Son and Accomplished Screenwriter

Peter Craig is the elder son of Steven Craig and Sally Field, born on November 10, 1969, in Los Angeles, California. He developed a successful career as a novelist, screenwriter, and producer, becoming known for his ability to write emotionally complex characters and compelling stories. Before establishing himself in Hollywood, Peter pursued creative writing and attended the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop, where he developed his literary skills. His early novels included The Martini Shot, published in 1998, Hot Plastic, published in 2004, and Blood Father, published in 2005. He later moved into screenwriting and contributed to several major film productions. His notable credits include The Town, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Bad Boys for Life, The Batman, and Top Gun: Maverick. His work on Top Gun: Maverick earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Peter has also spoken about his parents and upbringing in interviews, including the influence of his father during a difficult period in his youth. His experiences growing up with divorced parents and navigating different family environments have informed some of the themes explored in his writing. Peter’s career demonstrates how the next generation of the Craig family developed its own professional identity, separate from Sally Field’s acting achievements and Steven’s construction background.

Eli Craig: His Younger Son and Filmmaking Career

Eli Craig, born Elijah M. Craig on May 25, 1972, is Steven Craig and Sally Field’s younger son. Unlike his older brother Peter, who became widely recognized for screenwriting and novels, Eli developed his reputation primarily through directing and filmmaking. He initially explored interests outside the entertainment industry and studied psychology before eventually pursuing opportunities in Hollywood. His filmmaking career became particularly recognizable through Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, a horror-comedy released in 2010 that he co-wrote and directed. The film developed a strong following because of its unusual approach to traditional horror conventions, combining comedy with familiar genre elements. Eli later directed Little Evil, released in 2017, and Clown in a Cornfield, released in 2025. His professional work has demonstrated an interest in combining humor, suspense, and unconventional storytelling. Eli is married to Sasha Craig, and the couple have children together. He has also spoken about family matters in connection with his mother’s memoir, particularly his concern about how his father’s experiences would be discussed publicly. That response reflects the importance of family relationships beyond professional achievements. Eli’s career is another reason Steven Craig attracts attention, as readers often want to understand the family background of the director behind well-known films.

Who Is John Craig? Understanding the Family Connection

John Craig is another name that sometimes appears in online searches involving Steven Craig, Peter Craig, and Eli Craig. Some secondary biographical and genealogy databases list a John Craig as a half-brother of Peter, while certain online biographical summaries also associate him with the wider Craig family. However, publicly accessible, reliable reporting does not provide enough independently verified information to establish his exact relationship to Steven Craig or Sally Field. There is also insufficient dependable information to publish a confirmed profession, birth date, personal history, or family biography for this individual. It is therefore important not to present every online family-tree entry as established fact. Peter and Eli are consistently identified as the two sons of Steven Craig and Sally Field in established biographical accounts. Sally Field’s third son, Sam Greisman, was born during her later marriage to Alan Greisman. The distinction matters because searches for John Craig can produce mixed or incomplete family information, especially when several individuals share the same name. Until stronger evidence becomes available, John Craig should be treated as an unverified family connection rather than confidently described as another confirmed child of Steven Craig.

Career Highlights and Public Recognition Through His Family

Steven Craig has not received the kind of direct public recognition associated with actors, directors, or professional writers. His name appears primarily in connection with Sally Field’s personal history and the biographies of their sons. Nevertheless, his influence can be understood through the experiences Peter and Eli have discussed publicly. Peter’s career as a novelist and screenwriter includes major Hollywood productions, while Eli has established himself as a director and writer in film and television. Their achievements have brought renewed attention to their parents, particularly because Sally Field is an internationally recognized actress whose career includes two Academy Awards for Best Actress. Steven’s contribution to this family history is not a collection of public awards or entertainment credits but his role as a father during the formative years of two successful creative professionals. Peter’s account of the construction job in Oregon is particularly significant because it describes a practical intervention that helped him change direction. His father’s interest in writing also offers an interesting connection to Peter’s eventual profession. Although Steven did not become a publicly recognized author, his son’s recollections suggest that writing and storytelling were interests present within the family environment. This family connection provides a more meaningful context for understanding Steven than attempting to assign him achievements or public roles that reliable sources do not support.

Why People Search for Steven Craig

Interest in Steven Craig largely comes from searches about Sally Field’s first marriage and the identity of the father of her two eldest children. People researching the actress often want to understand her personal history, including her relationship with Steven before her later marriage to Alan Greisman. Others discover Steven’s name while researching Peter Craig, whose screenwriting credits include internationally successful films, or Eli Craig, known for directing popular horror-comedy projects. The family connection creates several related search topics, including Steven Craig’s marriage, divorce, profession, children, and life after separation. Another reason for curiosity is the limited amount of information available about him. Unlike Sally Field, whose career and personal experiences have been discussed in numerous interviews, Steven has maintained a private profile. This difference can make basic biographical questions difficult to answer with confidence. Readers may also encounter John Craig’s name in secondary family records and want to determine whether he belongs to the same family. Reliable research requires separating confirmed relationships from unverified online claims. Ultimately, Steven’s public relevance is connected to a family whose members have made notable contributions to acting, writing, and filmmaking, rather than to a celebrity career of his own.

Privacy, Accuracy and Public Information

A responsible biography of Steven Craig must recognize the difference between information that has been publicly documented and details that remain private. His marriage to Sally Field, their two sons, his construction background, and his involvement in Peter’s adolescence are supported by published biographical material and reporting. However, details such as his exact date of birth, childhood experiences, educational history, current residence, present occupation, financial position, and personal relationships have not been reliably established in widely available sources. It would be misleading to fill these gaps with assumptions or information copied from unverified genealogy websites. Steven’s preference for privacy has also been acknowledged publicly by Sally Field, who described him as a private person when discussing her memoir. His story is best understood through the limited but meaningful accounts available from his former wife and children. This approach respects his privacy while still answering the questions readers are most likely to have. It also avoids confusing him with other people named Steven or John Craig. A factual account does not need to invent dramatic personal details to be interesting; the documented history of his marriage, fatherhood, and influence on his children’s lives already provides a meaningful picture of his place in the Field-Craig family.

Conclusion

Steven Craig remains an interesting figure in Sally Field’s personal history because his story connects the early years of an award-winning actress with the upbringing of two accomplished entertainment professionals. Although he never pursued the public recognition associated with Hollywood, his marriage to Field and his relationships with Peter and Eli Craig form an important part of the family’s history. Peter’s recollections of his father’s guidance during adolescence provide a particularly valuable insight into Steven’s influence as a parent. Eli’s filmmaking career adds another dimension to the family’s creative background. Meanwhile, Sally Field’s later reflections on their shared history demonstrate that their relationship remained part of an important chapter in her life. Steven’s biography is necessarily limited by his preference for privacy, and several personal details remain undisclosed. Nevertheless, the available information presents him as more than simply Sally Field’s former husband: he was the father of two sons who developed successful careers of their own, and an important figure in their early family experiences.

FAQs

1. Who is Steven Craig?

Steven Craig, also known as Steve Craig, is an American construction contractor best known as Sally Field’s first husband and the father of Peter and Eli Craig.

2. When did Steven Craig marry Sally Field?

Steven Craig and Sally Field married in September 1968. Their relationship ended in separation in 1973, followed by their divorce in 1975.

3. How many children does Steven Craig have with Sally Field?

Steven Craig and Sally Field have two sons together: Peter Craig, born in 1969, and Eli Craig, born in 1972.

4. What does Peter Craig do for a living?

Peter Craig is an American novelist, screenwriter, and producer known for The Town, The Batman, and his Academy Award-nominated work on Top Gun: Maverick.

5. Is Eli Craig also Steven Craig’s son?

Yes, Eli Craig is Steven Craig’s younger son with Sally Field. He is a filmmaker and director known for Tucker & Dale vs. Evil and Little Evil.

6. Is John Craig related to Steven Craig?

Some online family records mention John Craig as a possible half-brother of Peter, but his precise relationship to Steven Craig remains unverified.

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