Jane Fonda has recalled how her friendship with Dolly Parton taught her an important lesson about fame, authenticity and appreciating fans.
Fonda and Parton first became friends while making the 1980 workplace comedy 9 to 5, which became a major box-office success.
The film grossed more than $103 million and ranked as the second highest grossing movie of 1980, behind Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
By then, Fonda was already an established actor, Oscar winner and activist, while Parton was a major country music star making her feature-film debut.
The Trip That Changed Fonda’s Perspective
In 1984, Fonda was preparing for The Dollmaker, in which she would portray an illiterate woman from rural Kentucky.
Wanting to better understand the region, she asked Parton to take her through the area where the singer had grown up.
Fonda later recalled on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast that she spent 10 days traveling with Parton, her husband Carl and friends through Appalachia, Missouri, the Ozarks and Arkansas. She also sang backup for Parton at the Grand Ole Opry.
What struck Fonda most was that Parton remained completely herself wherever they went, maintaining her signature appearance and openly embracing her fans.
Fonda contrasted this with her father, actor Henry Fonda, who disliked being approached by fans.
She said Parton showed her that appreciating people who admire you could turn those encounters into something meaningful.
“She is an amazing woman,” Fonda said, describing Parton as smart, profound and someone she deeply loves.
For Fonda, Parton’s example became a lesson in authenticity, gratitude and connecting with the people who support your work.
