Jane Fonda Remembers Dolly Parton: ‘She Meant Love’

Jane Fonda is remembering her longtime friend Dolly Parton as a woman who brought love, laughter and kindness wherever she went.

The 88-year-old actress spoke emotionally about Parton during an interview with Democracy Now!, six days after the country music legend died on Aug. 25 at age 80. Fonda and Parton had been friends for decades after starring together with Lily Tomlin in the beloved 1980 film 9 to 5.

Asked what Parton meant to her, Fonda struggled to hold back tears.

“She meant love,” Fonda said. “She really did. She loved everyone.”

A friend who stood up for others

Fonda recalled how Parton was always aware of other people’s feelings.

During one photoshoot with Fonda and Tomlin, the two actresses jokingly crossed their eyes for a photograph. Parton was upset by the image—not because she was offended personally, but because she thought it could hurt someone else.

“She said, ‘We never can show this to anybody,’” Fonda recalled.

Parton explained that she had a relative who was cross-eyed and did not want the photo to appear as if they were making fun of people with the condition.

For Fonda, the moment captured something important about Parton: she cared deeply about others and was willing to speak up for them.

Parton’s special bond with her fans

Fonda also remembered seeing firsthand how much Parton was loved by ordinary people.

While preparing for a role set in Appalachia, Fonda joined Parton on a trip through Tennessee and Arkansas while Parton was touring the region. They visited neighborhoods and met with fans along the way.

Fonda said the warmth people showed Parton was impossible to miss.

“They loved her so much [that] they accepted my presence,” she said.

Fonda believed Parton earned that affection because she genuinely respected her fans.

“She never played down,” Fonda said. “She always was pulled together. She was always who she was, out of respect for her fans.”

‘Always in charge of her life’

Fonda also admired Parton’s confidence and independence.

She described Parton as someone who was “always in charge of her life,” with a strong sense of who she was. Whether it involved her appearance, music or career, Parton knew what she wanted and refused to compromise her identity.

But perhaps one of Parton’s greatest gifts, Fonda said, was her ability to make everyone around her laugh.

“If she had gotten to the end of the day without her and her friends laughing so hard they had to cross their legs, then she would create a cause for laughter,” Fonda said.

“She laughed all the time and made sure that everybody around her guffawed all the time.”

For Fonda, that memory may be one of the clearest ways to understand Parton’s lasting impact: she made people feel loved, respected and, above all, happy.