Dolly Parton Was Once Fed up With Only Being Allowed to Play Herself in Movies
Dolly Parton wanted to put as much dedication and passion in her film career as she did in making music. But the award-winning artist noticed that most of the roles she was playing hit too close to home.
Dolly Parton wanted more variety in her movie career
Parton had always been interested in dabbling in movies. At the height of her career, she confided that she was offered many roles. But she rejected them due to a lack of experience.
“I had been asked a lot of times to be in the movies, and I didn’t think I was ready quite yet,” Parton said in an interview with Taste of Country. “I also thought, ‘Well, if the right thing came along, I might be willing to do it.’ Because I was still building my music career at the time.”
Parton felt she was finally ready to pursue acting professionally with the film 9 to 5. She quipped that the feature was somewhat of a safe bet at the time; it was being headlined by Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. This meant she didn’t have to carry the weight of the movie if it failed.
“They were both so hot at the time, and I thought, ‘Well, if there’s any time to start, this would be now, because if it’s a big hit then I can share in the glory of it. If it’s a failure, I can blame it all on them and walk away free,'” she added.
Parton continued expanding her film career in other features until she became almost as known for acting as she did for music. But even after her decades in the film industry, Parton noticed there was little variety in the characters that she was offered.
”I would someday love to find a really great role in a movie. One where I didn’t wear the nails, the high heels, the make-up. I would love to play a part that was worth tearing all that stuff away for,” Parton once told Attitude (via Contact Music). ”Something really, really good where I could really show – or see – that I could be a good actress. Most of the roles I play now are pretty much a version of my real self, but I think I could do some really serious acting with a great director.”
Dolly Parton would’ve found it difficult to shed away her identity for a film role
It seemed that Parton might’ve been a bit conflicted about her movie ambitions. As much as she wanted to branch out in movies, it was difficult to tone down her iconic image.
”I would not be comfortable. But if the role was good enough, I’d be willing to do that. To play something so different that it would begin to make sense. I’d be able to get comfortable with it,” she said.
One of the reasons Parton was so interested in her first movie role was due to similarities with her character. This made the role a bit easier to tap into.
“When I read that part for 9 to 5, you know, it was a girl from Texas, and she was so much like me anyway, so that was not that far-fetched,” she said.
Parton further asserted that she chose most of her roles because she saw a lot of herself in them.
“If I hadn’t made it in the music business, I would have been a beautician. So I understood that,” she added. “I’ve always done my own hair. I used to do my mama’s hair and my sister’s hair. So every part I take, I have to be able to do that.”
Dolly Parton once shared why doing ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ was ‘not’ fun
Parton once revealed she didn’t have a good time in one feature. The 1982 film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas saw Parton portraying the runner of a Brothel. And although she enjoyed the company she had on set, her health at the time made the movie an unpleasant experience.
“Well, Whorehouse was not fun,” Parton once said on Interview. “I loved Burt Reynolds and Jim Nabors and all those people, but at that particular time I was ill, and coming from a Broadway play, we already had everything against us.”
