Dolly Parton Has Known Keanu Reeves Since He Was Young: ‘He Was the Most Beautiful Little Boy You Ever Looked At’
Dolly Parton knew Keanu Reeves before the rest of the world. Doralee Rhodes and Neo? We never pictured it, but apparently, the two icons have a friendship dating back to when Reeves was a little boy.
Dolly Parton has known Keanu Reeves since he was a boy
During an interview with Access, Parton discussed meeting the future Matrix star. His mother made clothes for Parton. Access asked Parton if she’d heard the Keanu Reeves story about the actor wearing her original Playboy bunny outfit.
“His mom was a costume designer, and she made the one that you wore on the cover,” Access’ Kit Hoover said to Parton. “Then later, Keanu Reeves wore it with fishnet stocking and tennis shoes for a Halloween party.”
Parton replied, “Ah! No, I did not know that, but I love Keanu. His mom, at that time, was doing a lot of my costumes, and he was just a little bitty thing, and I’d go to fittings, and I knew him since he was a little boy. We’ve stayed kind of close because of that.
“But no, I didn’t know that he had done that, but I’m not surprised. His mom did some beautiful things for me, and I love him. So, I’m not surprised that he’d do something fun like that. He has a great sense of humor.”
Reeves has also talked about the Halloween costume.
Reeves described his Dolly Parton Playboy bunny Halloween costume
Parton first wore her original Playboy bunny outfit in 1978. But somehow, Reeves’ mother was able to bring it home and later let her son wear it for Halloween. Reeves explained the story on an episode of Red Table Talk (per Pop Crush).
“So my mother was a costume designer,” Reeves said. “She made some costumes for Dolly Parton, and she once did the cover of Playboy, and somehow I guess she got to take [the bustier] home.”
As a teenager, Reeves had an excellent idea of wearing the costume for Halloween. “I put on the ears and the bustier,” he said. “I wore sneakers with fishnet stockings and the bow tie. I had some pretty long hair, and I was Dolly Parton as a Playboy Bunny.”
In 2021, Parton dressed in a similar costume to recreate the Playboy photo for her husband, Carl Dean‘s birthday. In 2019, Parton and Reeves reunited on The Talk. Later, Parton took to her Twitter to write about what they talked about backstage.
“A few weeks ago backstage at @thetalkcbs I got to reconnect with Keanu Reeves,” Parton wrote. “I think he said something about wearing a pair of bunny ears that used to be mine?”
Parton couldn’t get over how beautiful Reeves was as a child
Access asked Parton what she remembers about Reeves as a little boy. “I’m just trying to picture him on set with you, that’s hysterical,” Hoover said.
“Well, she would bring him, or I would go over to her house for the fitting, but he was beautiful, he was sweet, oh, he was the most beautiful little boy you’ve ever looked at,” Parton explained.
“He’s beautiful as a man, as you know. But he was so beautiful, I just remember those beautiful shiny eyes just being in awe of everything. All those sparkles and rhinestones. And a girl, looking at a girl, half-naked, you know. But he was just sweet and nice, and he still is.”
Parton and Reeves are only 18 years apart. When Reeves was a little boy, Parton was in her twenties. So, Parton is probably more like an older sister to the actor. It’s great to hear that their friendship is still strong.
