We often think of Dolly Parton in terms of the influence she had on the country music world, but her decades-long friendship with Jane Fonda proves that Parton has more to offer than just musical advice. For Fonda, spending time with Parton taught her how to become a better celebrity, a more believable hillbilly, and even a singer.
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Because if there’s anybody who embodies the terms “celebrity,” “hillbilly,” and “singer,” well, it’d probably be Dolly Parton.
Dolly Parton Helped Jane Fonda Become A Better Celebrity
Jane Fonda technically needed no introduction to the world of celebrity when she met Dolly Parton. Even setting Fonda’s own successful career aside, the prominent actor and activist had been around the entertainment industry since birth, thanks to her famous father, Henry Fonda. But as she explained during an episode of the Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend podcast, her dad wasn’t exactly a stellar example of how a star should interact with their fans.
As a little girl, she would watch people approach her father for autographs or to heap praises on the Jesse James actor. And every time they did, she would notice her father’s adverse reaction. He hated the attention, and the unsolicited conversations would leave him in a sour mood. When Jane was spending time with Parton, she found the opposite to be true of her 9 to 5 co-star. Not only did Parton entertain her fans. She worked hard to please them.
Describing how Parton would present herself to her fans, Jane said, “I never saw her not looking a hundred percent Dolly Parton—the wig, the whole thing—going to see these people. She presented herself just like they hoped she would, and I thought, ‘Yeah, that’s how to do it. You’ve got to love those people who like you.’ And oh boy, does she have fans. And she just loves them and appreciates them. She taught me a lot, [and] she didn’t say anything. She showed by example.”
The Country Star Helped The Actor Become A Hillbilly, Too
Dolly Parton didn’t just show Jane Fonda how to be a better celebrity. She also taught the native New Yorker how to be a hillbilly. Around the time Fonda got to bear witness to how Parton interacted with fans from all walks of life, the pair were traveling together in Parton’s tour bus through the mountain ranges of the eastern U.S., both Parton’s native Appalachia and the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas. Fonda was tagging along with Parton because the actor was preparing for a role in The Dollmaker, a made-for-TV film starring Fonda and based on the 1954 novel by Harriette Arnow.
Fonda’s character was a “hillbilly illiterate woman,” and she recalled telling Parton, “You’re the only hillbilly I know.” The country singer was happy to return a favor for Fonda after she cast Parton in the 1980 comedy, 9 to 5, which was a tremendous boost to Parton’s career. So, Parton took Fonda under her wing. She invited her to her Nashville home, where her elusive husband, Carl, cooked the women breakfast. Then, they embarked on their mountain tour.
“We spent ten days touring Appalachia,” Fonda said. “I ended up meeting somebody that I went back and lived with and chopped their wood and built their cow and so on. We were on the road in the back hollers, you know. People who lived in tar paper shacks.”
Fonda described Parton as “an amazing woman. She is so smart. She’s kind of psychic; she’s really profound. I’m in awe of Dolly. I love her very much.” Parton even invited Fonda to sing backup vocals for her at the Grand Ole Opry, effectively crossing another item off Fonda’s “new experiences” list.
Photo by Berliner Studio/BEI/Shutterstock
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