What Dolly Parton Told Julia Roberts on the Set of ‘Steel Magnolias’ Left Her Speechless
- - What Dolly Parton Told Julia Roberts on the Set of ‘Steel Magnolias’ Left Her Speechless
Lucille BarillaJanuary 17, 2026 at 7:17 PM
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Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Dolly Parton shared some words of wisdom on the set of the 1989 film Steel Magnolias with Julia Roberts that left a lasting impact on the Oscar-winning actress.
The cast sat down with Oprah Winfrey on her daytime talk show for an interview to promote the film. It was there that Roberts discussed Parton's impact on her life.
Roberts reflected on her time on the film's Natchitoches, Louisiana, set. The temperature during filming reached over 100 degrees, which was challenging during some of the outdoor scenes when the cast had to wear heavier clothing.
She explained, "Everybody had ice on their wrists doing the whole thing. Everybody was like, it’s hot, could I get some water? And Dolly never said anything."
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"And I finally, I just had to say, ‘Dolly, you’ve got a wig, and the wool, I mean, c’mon. It’s hot, sweat a little. Just say, I’m hot, you know? This is a drag.'”
Roberts continued, “And she said, I remember we were sitting on the porch, and she said to me, 'When I was a little girl, I wanted to be famous, and I wanted to be rich, and now I’m both of these things, I’m not going to complain about it.'"
The actor concluded, "And I thought, 'Okay, I’m going to be quiet for the rest of the day.' I’ve never forgotten it. And every time I go to complain, or just kind of moan, I always hear Dolly sitting on the porch and saying that, and it kinda keeps you quiet.”
Parton's Steel Magnolias stand-in, Jacqueline Horton, echoed Roberts' assessment of the kindness of the country superstar and the oppressive Louisiana heat. Horton explained, "It was approaching 100 degrees some days."
She added, "The non-Southerners were floored by how sticky and hot it was, but not Dolly. She’d have on all these heavy clothes, and I never heard her complain. And I never saw a drop of sweat either!”
Julia Roberts and Dolly Parton have not worked together on any other films or major projects since the 1989 film Steel Magnolias. Other cast members included Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah, and Shirley MacLaine.
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
