There is only one Dolly Parton. With her sky-high hair, rhinestone-studded wardrobe, and her iconic voice, Dolly has spent decades dazzling audiences across music, movies, and television. She is a country music legend and a songwriting powerhouse who influenced pop culture greatly. From writing classics like “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” to founding the Imagination Library, her career has practically touched every corner of creativity and reinvention.
But Dolly did not stop at music. Like many artists with a larger-than-life personality, she made a leap to the big screen and brought her signature warmth and wit to movies. Her filmography is a fascinating mix of workplace comedies and holiday specials. She has played everything from a sassy secretary to a country singer turned angel, and yes, she’s even appeared as herself in more than a few cameos. Some of Dolly Parton’s movies are classics, others are delightfully offbeat, but each one carries a distinct charm.
Here is every movie Dolly Parton has starred in, ranked.
10
‘Frank McClusky, C.I.’ (2002)
Directed by Arlene Sanford, Frank McClusky, C.I. follows Frank, a helmet-wearing, knee-pad-clad insurance claims investigator obsessed with safety due to a childhood trauma. Apparently, his daredevil father “Madman” McClusky ended up in a coma after a stunt went wrong. Raised by his overprotective mother, Edith, Frank lives a sheltered life until his partner is murdered, and he’s forced to don a series of disguises to get to the bottom of jockey conspiracies and insurance fraud.
Has a Few Moments of Charm
Leaning heavily and unapologetically into slapstick, this one focuses on Frank’s antics and elevates them with a parade of cameos. Though it was critically panned and largely forgotten, Dolly Parton’s performance as Edith McClusky is a bright spot in an otherwise uneven comedy. She plays the role with maternal gusto and scenes that involve elaborate safety routines offer a glimpse of her comedic timing.
9
‘Unlikely Angel’ (1996)
In Unlikely Angel, Dolly Parton plays the role of Ruby Diamond, a brassy country singer with a heart that’s not quite golden. She dies in a car crash after discovering that her boyfriend is cheating on her. At the pearly gates. Ruby meets Saint Peter, who offers her a second chance. She can earn angel wings by returning to Earth and reuniting the fractured Bartilson family before midnight on Christmas Eve.
A Fan Favorite During the Holidays
Through music, tough love, and a few heavenly nudges, the movie becomes a story of rediscovering joy and connection during the spirit of the season. A made-for-TV holiday film, Unlikely Angel is pure Dolly Parton. It is sentimental, musical, and full of charm. Her character is initially self-serving, but becomes deeply empathetic towards the end. Her musical performances, including the still unreleased “Whatcha Tryin’ To Do To Me,” only enhance the narrative.
8
‘Christmas on the Square’ (2020)
In this Netflix musical, Dolly Parton plays a literal angel sent to soften the heart of Regina Fuller, a wealthy woman returning to her hometown to evict residents and send the land to developers. As Regina prepares to bulldoze the square, she is plagued by memories, confronted by townsfolk, and nudged toward redemption by Dolly’s kind and glittering spirit.
Dolly Parton Is the Guiding Star
Christine Baranski plays Regina, and while the story is about her choosing compassion over profit, Parton’s role as Angel is both symbolic and central. She is the moral compass, the musical soul, and the emotional glue of the film. Her songs are woven seamlessly into the narrative and her presence is as radiant as ever. Though reviews were mixed, Christmas on the Square won the Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie.
7
‘Joyful Noise’ (2012)
Set in the small town of Pacashau, Georgia, Joyful Noise follows a struggling church choir caught between following tradition and aiming for reinvention. After the sudden death of their beloved director, the leadership falls to Vi Rose Hill (Queen Latifah), a practical single mother, and G.G. Sparrow (Dolly Parton), the wealthy widow of the former director, and they must both put their differences aside to work together.
Holds Her Own in an Ensemble
Directed by Todd Graff, Joyful Noise is an incredible mashup of faith, family, and fierce vocals, thanks to Parton and Latifah appearing as leads. Parton’s G.G. is a firecracker, sharp-tongued with a big heart and never one to back down. Her banter with Latifah is electric, especially in scenes like their diner argument. Dolly co-wrote several original songs, including “From Here to the Moon and Back,” a tender ballad, so the movie is a showcase for both her acting and songwriting.
6
‘Rhinestone’ (1982)
Rhinestone is a fish-out-of-water comedy that stars Dolly Parton as Jake Farris, a rhinestone-clad country singer stuck in a contract with a sleazy New York club owner. To break free, she makes a bet – she will turn any New Yorker into a country star. Jake hauls Nick Martinelli, a cabbie with zero musical talent, to Tennessee for a crash course, hoping to transform him into a passable performer in just two weeks.
Known for Its Sheer Audacity
Rhinestone is infamous for its misfires, but it is also a fascinating artifact of Dolly Parton’s daring cinematic career. She is magnetic, funny, confident, and flawless in her music, even when the script goes in absurd directions. She’s accompanied by Sylvester Stallone, whose performance is wildly out of place, but their chemistry is oddly appealing.
5
‘Blue Valley Songbird’ (1999)
Based on Parton’s own song of the same name, Blue Valley Songbird tells the story of Leanne Taylor, a country singer on the cusp of stardom but haunted by her traumatic childhood. Her controlling manager and boyfriend, Hank, keeps holding her career back by stifling her creativity and booking small gigs. When she meets a kind-hearted producer who sees her potential, Leanne begins to reclaim her voice.
A Small-Town Melodrama
The movie follows the protagonist’s journey from stage fright to self-empowerment and ends with a powerful performance that marks her rebirth as an artist. Directed by Richard A. Colla, this made-for-TV drama is one of Dolly’s most personal performances of all time. Also, the movie’s core lies in its flashbacks, which are handled with sincerity. It’s a reminder that Parton does not always need glitter or grand stages to shine. Sometimes, a story and a song are enough.
4
‘Steel Magnolias’ (1989)
Unfolding in a small-town beauty salon in the heart of Louisiana, Steel Magnolias centers on six women who gather to swap stories, share laughter, and weather life’s storms. There’s Julia Roberts’ Shelby, a spirited young woman with diabetes, and her protective mother, M’Lynn, played by Sally Field. When Shelby marries and starts a family against medical advice, the women rally around her through joy and hardship.
Celebration of Womanhood
Even though the movie is one of Roberts’ best performances, and it even earned her an Oscar nomination, Dolly Parton’s Truvy is the emotional anchor. Her bubbly, nurturing, and always-armed-with-a-teasing-quip-or-a-can-of-hairspray personality brings a charm to the salon and turns it into a sanctuary. Directed by Herbert Ross, the movie balances humor and heartbreak with remarkable grace, and the chemistry within the ensemble is just effortless.
3
‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ (1982)
Based on the Broadway musical, this cheeky comedy-musical follows Miss Mona Stangley (Dolly Parton), the madam of the Chicken Ranch, a long-running brothel in rural Texas. With local sheriff Ed Earl Dodd providing her protection, Mora runs the establishment with discretion and Southern charm. But when TV crusader Melvin P. Thorpe runs a campaign to shut it down, the town is thrown into scandal.
One of Her Most Iconic Screen Turns
Dolly is radiant as Miss Mona. She effortlessly embodies the role of the tough-as-nails yet warmhearted protagonist, infusing her with equal parts sass and sincerity. Her rendition of “I Will Always Love You,” sung to Burt Reynolds in a tearful moment, is definitely the film’s emotional peak. Overall, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas combines camp and commentary, with Dolly grounding the spectacle in genuine warmth.
2
‘Straight Talk’ (1992)
Shirlee Kenyon is a dance instructor from Arkansas who stumbles into a radio station in Chicago and accidentally lands a job as a call-in therapist. With her wisdom and no-nonsense advice, she becomes an overnight sensation. As she manages her fame, Shirlee also falls in love with investigative journalist Jack Russell, who’s secretly trying to expose her.
Dolly Parton Giving Unlicensed Advice
Directed by Barnet Kellman, Straight Talk is a fish-out-of-water story with a heart. It finds Dolly Parton in full rom-com mode and allows her natural vibe to carry the narrative. Her scenes behind the mic, dispensing advice like “Get off the cross, honey, somebody needs the wood,” are genuinely hilarious, and her dynamic with James Woods is surprisingly tender. The movie didn’t make waves critically, but it found a loyal audience and remains a comfort watch.
1
‘9 to 5’ (1980)
9 to 5 is a workplace comedy that follows three secretaries, Judy (Jane Fonda), Violet (Lily Tomlin), and Doralee (Dolly Parton), who team up to take down their sexist, egotistical boss, Franklin Hart Jr. (Dabney Coleman). After a series of misunderstandings and a wild kidnapping plot, the trio successfully turns their toxic office into a progressive, employee-friendly haven.
Revenge Fantasy With a Punchline
Parton’s breakout movie role as the irrepressible Doralee is amazing. She is sweet but steel-spined, endures harassment with grace, and eventually leads the charge for change. Her comedic sensibilities are impeccable and the scene where she threatens Hart with a pistol is unforgettable. 9 to 5 was a commercial hit, and it granted Dolly an Academy Award nomination for her original song, “9 to 5,” which became a cultural anthem.
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