Legendary country musician – and global star – Dolly Parton has passed away at the age of 80, her family has confirmed. Her death comes after a “brie
Legendary country musician – and global star – Dolly Parton has passed away at the age of 80, her family has confirmed. Her death comes after a “brief battle with cancer”, according to a publicist.
While the Tennessee-born Parton was best known for her extensive musical career, she had a major impact on the screen too. Her first film role came in 1980, starring alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 9 To 5, the beloved comedy in which a trio of working women fight back against their sexist boss (played by Dabney Coleman). The film was a critical and commercial hit; and Parton wrote and performed the platinum-certified theme song of the same name, earning two Grammys and an Oscar nomination.
Through the rest of the 1980s, Parton continued her move into moviedom. She starred in The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas – re-teaming with 9 To 5 director Colin Higgins – which featured a re-record of her song ‘I Will Always Love You’, later covered by Whitney Houston for 1992’s The Bodyguard. The film was nominated for two Golden Globes, including a Best Actress nomination for Parton herself. 1984 saw Parton appear opposite Sylvester Stallone in Rhinestone, and she rounded out the decade with 1989’s beloved Steel Magnolias.
Much of Parton’s later movie roles consisted of cameos; she popped up in 1993’s The Beverly Hillbillies, 2005’s Miss Congeniality 2: Armed And Fabulous, and animation Gnomeo & Juliet. She appeared in three episodes of Disney series Hannah Montana as ‘Aunt Dolly’; notably, she was Miley Cyrus’ real-life godmother. Parton also appeared on-screen once more with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, in a cameo for the pair’s Netflix hit series Grace And Frankie. She also had her own festive Netflix special, Dolly Parton’s Christmas On The Square, in 2020, a feature-length musical in which she appeared as an angel.
Parton also played a key role in bringing Buffy The Vampire Slayer to TV; she was an unnamed producer on the show (and the original movie) which was created in part with her production company Sandollar. Star Sarah Michelle Gellar revealed in recent years that Parton used to sent Christmas presents to the Buffy cast in its early seasons. In 2021, Parton said on Watch What Happens Live that she thought Buffy was “a wonderful little show”.
Dolly Parton’s legacy will be long remembered, not just across music, but across movies, TV, her philanthropy, and her outlook of positivity and togetherness. Our thoughts are with her friends, family, and loved ones.
