“I’m Going To Be Quiet For The Rest Of The Day” — Julia Roberts “Never Forgot” Humbling Conversation With Dolly Parton

Simply the best. Back in 1989, Dolly Parton starred in Steel Magnolias alongside the likes of acting legends like Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and of course, Julia Roberts. It's one of my all-time favorite movies, and was filmed mostly in Natchitoches, Louisiana, in the summer months, so you can bet it was hotter than the devil's hell on set. And if you're not used to that kind of heat and humidity, let me just say... it's not for the faint of heart. The movie's 35th anniversary is this November, and in a vintage interview with the cast on Oprah Winfrey's show back around the time it was released, Julie Roberts told an amazing story about Dolly that I'd bet she still remembers to this day because of how deeply it impacted her. She recalled how hot everyone was on set one day, putting ice on their wrists and doing whatever they could do beat the heat. She said everyone was complaining, except one person in particular, and she finally had to say something to Dolly: "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. 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.'" And Dolly's response was everything you'd expect and more, putting Roberts in her place (though I certainly don't think that was the intention) when Roberts pressed her on why she wasn't acting even slightly annoyed by the circumstances: "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.' And I thought okay, I'm going to be quiet for the rest of the day. And the way she said, I didn't really do it her way or else it'll, like, choke me up, but it was this thing and 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." Dolly looked humbled listening to Roberts telling the story, simply saying in response: "Oh, that's nice." Dolly's in a league of her own, and always has been. Check out the clip here: