Watch Dolly Parton’s Final E! News Interviews

But songwriting isn’t the only thing Parton was known for. Over the years, the Grammy winner starred in nearly 200 film roles, and actresses who worked with her were always floored for the opportunity. 

As Queen Latifah noted after starring in Joyful Noise with Parton in 2012, “We just hit it off immediately and were cool.”

Meanwhile, Jennifer Aniston was just as touched to have Parton write songs for her 2018 film Dumplin.

“You feel as though the sea just parted, angels started singing,” Aniston mused of getting to work with Parton. “There was fairies all around and just wonderful.”

And trust, Aniston assured, “It also just surpasses all of your wildest expectations and dreams.” 

Meanwhile, Parton has also instilled her wisdom with E! News over the years, especially when it comes to how she maintained such a vibrant and loving personality over her life. 

“I’m just a good ole country girl,” Parton said in a 2017 interview. “I grew up in a family of fun people. My daddy’s people and my mom’s people always had a joyful way about them, had a great sense of humor and I just have a good attitude. I’m always looking for the best and when something bad happens I try to fix it just as quick as I can.”

For Parton, that kind of attitude was the key to success—and the most important piece of advice she could instill. 

“You got to keep that little ball of light that’s your personality and your holy spirit so to speak,” she continued. “Whether you’re religious or not, there is a thing inside us that is a core. You just need to know what that is and you go home at night and you’ve still got that. You wake up in the morning, you’ve still got that. You go work your butt off all day long, you’ve still got that.”

She emphasized, “If you let that get away from you, then you’re just going to be scattered to the wind.”

Parton’s love for life and her work is what kept her going each and every day. 

“I could not not write songs and sing them and dream dreams and have plans,” she told E! News in 2025. “I would go crazy myself not having an outlet so I’m going to stay right where I’m at, make hay while the sun shines.”

Parton noted she never felt a need to slow down, adding, “I’d rather sit in my rocking chair, regretting a few things I did than regret things that I did not do.”

For a deeper look into Parton’s life, keep reading…