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Danica McKellar is remembering her special relationship with Dolly Parton. 

On Tuesday, The Wonder Years star took to Instagram to pay tribute to the late singer and country music icon, who died August 25 at age 80. McKellar worked with Parton on multiple occasions, including the 2019 Hallmark movie Christmas at Dollywood and the 2020 documentary The Library That Dolly Built. 

Dolly Parton ‘was everything I always hoped she would be,’ Danica McKellar says 

“I’m one of those people [who loved Dolly Parton],” McKellar said. “I was fortunate enough to work with her in 2019 on a movie called Christmas at Dollywood. And she was everything I always hoped she would be.”

In Christmas at Dollywood, McKellar plays an event planner who returns home to Tennessee to take a job at Dollywood. While planning the theme park’s Christmas celebration, she strikes up a romance with a coworker. Parton makes a cameo in the film.

Prior to making a Hallmark movie together, McKellar and Parton connected through the Imagination Library, the nonprofit the singer founded to give books to children in need. One of McKellar’s books on math was part of the library’s giveaway program, which led to her narrating The Library That Dolly Built.   

“That was when I first met her,” McKellar said. “She surprised me during the recording. I’ll never forget it. She was just incredible. The thing about Dolly Parton is that yes, she was talented, yes, she was an icon, yes, all those things. But she made you feel so good. She made everybody feel so great about themselves, no matter what. No matter who you were. She knew exactly the right thing [to say].” 

‘The Wonder Years’ star is ‘grateful’ she got to know the country music icon 

McKellar said that she has tried to embrace Parton’s positivity and kindness in her own life. 

“That’s something that I’m hoping that I can – I’ve always thought, ever since I’ve met her and experienced it, I was like, ‘I want to do that. I want to learn that.’ I mean, if everybody did that, we’d be in a much different world,” McKellar said.

“Dolly Parton, you’re incredible,” she added. “You did everything for everybody all the time. Your legacy is unmatched. And I’m so grateful that I got to know you for a short time.”

The Library That Dolly Built is streaming for free on Kanopy and YouTube. Christmas at Dollywood is streaming on Hallmark+. 

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