Burt Reynolds Spent Years Trying to Get Dolly Parton in a Movie With Him
In 1982, Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds starred in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The movie-musical was generally well-received, but neither Parton nor Reynolds had a good time making it. This was a shame, as they collaborated after Reynolds pursued her for years. He wanted to make a number of films with her before they teamed up for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Burt Reynolds wanted to star in a movie with Dolly Parton
In the late 1970s, Parton’s fame and success grew after she crossed over from a strictly country audience to a mainstream audience. She also signaled that she wanted to get involved in the film industry. This piqued Reynolds’ interest, and he reportedly started trying to make a movie with her.
“Burt Reynolds has also pursued her for years — wanting her to co-star in W. W. and the Dixie Dancekings and any of a number of other films,” wrote Lawrence Grobel for Playgirl in 1981 (per the book Dolly on Dolly). “But Dolly waited until the right project came along — and when she went to see the Broadway hit The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, she felt she had found it.”
In 1975, Reynolds starred in W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings alongside Conny Van Dyke.
Dolly Parton said the experience of working with Burt Reynolds wasn’t pleasant
Parton and Reynolds had chemistry that sparked affair rumors. She said that they didn’t have very much fun shooting the film, though. She was at a low point in her life, and he’d recently gone through a breakup with Sally Fields. Parton also said she injured Reynolds on set.
“There was a scene at the end of the movie where Burt, as Sheriff Ed Earl, had to pick me up and carry me,” Parton wrote in her book Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business. “They waited to shoot that scene last, and it was a good thing they did. The cameras rolled, Burt picked me up, and I could hear him groan. I was a real porker at the time, probably the heaviest I have ever been. Naturally, being the movies, they had to shoot the scene a few times, and each time Burt groaned a little louder.”
Reynolds had hernia surgery not long after filming wrapped. Parton said she couldn’t help but blame herself.
She still looked forward to romantic scenes with him
While Parton and Reynolds ran into problems on set, she looked forward to her romantic scenes with him. She even pushed for more romance in the film.
“When they started askin’ for suggestions, I said I would like to see more of a romance,” she told Rolling Stone. “Wouldn’t you feel like you wasted five dollars if you paid to see Whorehouse and you didn’t see me and Burt kiss? I was makin’ a joke, and I stuck to it — I’m not going to miss my chance to kiss Burt Reynolds.”
