Jane Fonda is reflecting on what made her longtime friend and 9 to 5 costar Dolly Parton so special following the country legend’s death.
Speaking after Parton was laid to rest to Democracy Now! on Monday, August 31, Fonda became visibly emotional when asked what the singer ultimately meant to her. “She had love. She really did. She loved everyone,” Fonda said, fighting back tears.
Fonda recalled witnessing that compassion firsthand while traveling with Parton through Appalachia in the late 1970s. Despite arriving in her unmistakable “full regalia,” Fonda said Parton treated everyone they encountered with genuine respect. “She taught me the importance of acknowledging and respecting fans,” Fonda said.
The actress also shared a lighter memory from 9 to 5, which marked Parton’s first movie role. According to Fonda, Parton arrived on her first day having memorized the entire screenplay because she thought that was expected of her.
READ MORE: Dolly Parton’s Final Instagram Post Honored a Special Moment With Kenny Rogers
Several weeks into filming, Parton called Fonda and costar Lily Tomlin over during lunch and revealed she had written a song. Using her famous fingernails as percussion, she performed what would become “9 to 5.” “Lily and I looked at each other. We both had the biggest goosebumps we’d ever had,” Fonda recalled in the interview.
There’s no doubt Klute star considered Parton a feminist. “Oh, absolutely. Absolutely,” she responded when asked, explaining that Parton understood how others perceived her but remained firmly in control of her image, career and business. “She was always in charge of her life,” Fonda said.
Parton’s death rocked the world last week and prompted tributes from generations of musicians and fans. Fonda remembered Parton as fiercely intelligent and unusually perceptive about other people. She said her friend had an ability “like X-ray vision” to look beyond someone’s exterior and see who they really were.
Parton died August 25 at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer. She was surrounded by loved ones in Nashville, Tennessee. The music icon was laid to rest on August 28 during a private burial beside her late husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025.
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