Sally Field is now the oldest actress ever to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. She picked up the trophy Monday night at 79, for playing Tova Sullivan in Netflix's Remarkably Bright Creatures, and in doing so pushed Jessica Tandy off a record that had stood since 1988, when Tandy won for Foxfire.

Field beat a field that included Claire Danes, Carey Mulligan, Sarah Pidgeon and Sarah Snook. It's her fourth Emmy and her tenth nomination, following wins for Sybil in 1977, ER in 2001 and Brothers & Sisters in 2007.

She seemed caught off guard by the whole thing. "This was not supposed to happen," she said opening her speech, before turning serious. "I have been so grateful and so proud to be a part of this community, the arts, for 62 years or something." She went further, telling the room, "We're the arts. We matter. Our voices matter. Our diversity, our unique storytelling matters. We can't let those voices be silenced or compromised or merged," according to Wonderwall's account of the acceptance speech, which drew a standing ovation.

Field made a point of naming names on her way off stage. She called Shelby Van Pelt's source novel "a lovely novel," thanked director Olivia Newman and cinematographer Ashley Connor, and singled out Alfred Molina, who voices the film's giant octopus, Marcellus. Her warmest words went to co-star Lewis Pullman. "I wouldn't be up here if not for the magical talent of Lewis Pullman, who stood next to me the whole time," she said.

Backstage with reporters afterward, per Deadline, Field pivoted to a subject she clearly cared about, the country where the film was actually made. Remarkably Bright Creatures shot in Canada, and Field, whose son lives in Vancouver, used her press time to push for warmer U.S.-Canada relations at a moment when tariff disputes under President Trump have strained things between the neighbors. "Let's keep our friendships. Let's keep our neighbors close," she told reporters, adding, "Fight for it. Stand up for it. Don't give it away. Resist." She didn't spell out what exactly she was resisting, but the context wasn't subtle.

Field also used the night to honor Dolly Parton, her Steel Magnolias co-star, in a separate tribute segment. Speaking to press about their bond, she admitted the two had drifted lately simply because of distance. "Dolly and I lived so far apart," she said, but added that whenever they did reach out, she believed Parton felt the same affection she did. "So I loved her," Field said.

Whether the Emmy bump changes anything for Remarkably Bright Creatures at Netflix, where it's already streaming, remains to be seen. What's certain is that at 79, Field just added a new line to her own record book, and she wasn't shy about using the platform for more than a thank-you speech.