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In the wake of Dolly Parton‘s death at 80, her former 9 to 5 co-star Jane Fonda is looking back at some of her fondest moments with the country icon, and the time she got scolded for accidentally being offensive.
The 88-year-old Oscar-winning actor remembers a time on the set of the acclaimed 1980 comedy film where the three stars were taking photos. Fonda reveals in a new Democracy Now interview that the “Jolene” singer held her and Lily Tomlin accountable after an offensive slip-up.
“On a photo session, me, Dolly, and Lily, for fun, we crossed our eyes. They took a picture of us with our eyes crossed. [Dolly] got very upset. She said, ‘We never can show this to anybody. It looks like we’re making fun [of people]. I have a relative who’s cross-eyed, I don’t ever want to see this picture,'” explained the actor.
When looking back at how Parton affected her life, Fonda commented that Parton always “meant love. She really did. She loved everyone.” Fans knew Parton as one of entertainment’s upstanding sweethearts, and Fonda’s recollection is pure proof of the singer’s character.
The actor added that beyond that incident, Parton instilled in her the lesson of always treating her fans accordingly. Fonda said that the singer always “absolutely respected” them, and it translated into how the Grace and Frankie star saw the people who admired her.
“She always was pulled together, she always who she was, out of respect for her fans. She taught me the importance of acknowledging and respecting fans,” Fonda added.
Parton not only instilled that lesson into Fonda but also recalls her kind-hearted nature. The “I Will Always Love You” singer helped the actor with her audition in the 1984 television film The Dollmaker. Fonda remembers spending days driving through Appalachia and having to find backup vocals for Parton at the Grand Ole Opry.
It’s safe to say that Parton left a lasting impact on the actor. Parton died on Aug. 25 after a brief battle with cancer. Multiple actors and stars paid tributes to the country icon, with Fonda posting that she was “devastated” by her death.
“I never knew anyone like her. She was simultaneously a naughty, playful southern gal from the hollows of Tennessee and a deep, soulful thinker who could see through people right down to their true selves,” she wrote.
Tomlin also posted that Parton was “The Great Harmonizer of Humanity.” Fonda also added that her 9 to 5 co-star was the “voluptuous embodiment of empathy,” and it’s something that she thinks Parton would want everyone to take part in.
Related: 1970 Country Classic, Sung by 24-Year-Old Dolly Parton, Became a No. 1 Hit That Defined Her Career