Dolly Parton brought her star power to both stage and screen, appearing opposite Hollywood actors including Jane Fonda, Burt Reynolds and Queen Latifah.
Early Film Roles
Parton made her acting debut in 1980 starring as Doralee Rhodes opposite Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the hit musical comedy 9 to 5. Directed by Colin Higgins, the film follows a trio of colleagues who kidnap their boss after being fed up with being sexually harassed by him in the workplace.
Parton scored her first Oscar nomination for best original song with 9 to 5. She also landed her first Golden Globe nominations, including for best original song, best performance by an actress in a musical or comedy and new star of the year.
She reunited with Higgins in the old-school Hollywood musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) opposite Reynolds. The film follows a town Sheriff, who is a regular visitor of the local brothel Chicken Ranch, as he teams up with the owner and madam, Miss Mona Stangley, as the pair try to keep it running after a television reporter tries to shut it down.
Comedy and Drama
One of the notable scenes in the film is when Miss Stangley sings a rendition of Parton's ballad, I Will Always Love You, to Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd after declining his marriage proposal to protect his political future. Parton was nominated for a second time in the best performance by an actress in a motion picture musical or comedy category.
Parton starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in the comedy musical Rhinestone (1984) as Jake Farris, a country singer who makes a bet that she can turn anybody into a country star. Alas, she spoke too soon and is quickly tasked with turning taxi-driver Nick Martinelli into her protege before his big-time country nightclub show.
Joining the likes of Shirley MacLaine, Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts, Parton starred in the comedy film Steel Magnolias (1989) as beauty shop owner Truvy Jones. The film follows a young beautician who arrives in a small Louisiana town and finds work in a local salon where she joins a tight-knit group of women.
Later TV and Film Work
Parton did not just take on comedy roles and pivoted into drama in the 90s with the TV film Wild Texas Wind (1991) about a country singer who becomes romantically involved with a volatile and abusive manager, played by Gary Busey.
For many younger generations, their first time seeing Parton on screen was on the Disney Channel hit series Hannah Montana (2006), appearing alongside her real-life goddaughter, singer Miley Cyrus, and country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. On the series, she played Miley Stewart's (Cyrus) godmother, Aunty Dolly, who had a fictional relationship with Elvis Presley.
Parton starred opposite Queen Latifah in the gospel-infused musical comedy Joyful Noise (2012), which became one of her last major roles. The film follows two women who, while struggling for control over a small and financially strapped Georgia town's church choir, must work together for the chance to win a national competition. The film also stars Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan, and Kris Kristofferson and is being adapted for the stage.
