Dolly Parton, who died at age 80, had previously expressed openness to a remake of the 1980 film "9 to 5," in which she starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. However, she later explained that she and her original co-stars were hesitant to make cameos in Jennifer Aniston's planned remake due to their age.
"I think a lot of it is that, you know, we're all older now. We're not gonna look that good on the big screen," Parton said in an interview with HuffPost last summer. "All of us up there with all those beautiful, young, fresh people... So I don't know."
Parton, who made her Hollywood screen debut in the original "9 to 5," also stated she had no plans to be in Aniston's reimagining. Aniston had reportedly wanted the iconic trio to be involved in the project. Parton added that while she admired Aniston and believed the script was a "new and different take that really brings the office up to date," she and Fonda and Tomlin "have no plans to be in that."
In the 1980 film, Parton, Fonda, and Tomlin portrayed three office workers who conspire against their sexist boss, played by the late Dabney Coleman. Parton also penned the film's theme song, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song in 1981.
Discussions about a "9 to 5" sequel had been ongoing for years among the original stars. Fonda recalled in May 2024 that one draft of a sequel script didn't work for them, as it struggled to capture the nuances of the modern workplace, including remote work and gig economy jobs. Tomlin expressed sympathy for Aniston and writer Diablo Cody, acknowledging the difficulty of updating the concept. Fonda also wished the remake team luck in June 2024.
Parton had reportedly discussed the possibility of involvement in the remake with Aniston as far back as 2018, around the time of the film "Dumplin'," in which Aniston starred. During that time, Parton suggested her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus, could play her original character, Doralee Rhodes.
Reflecting on the enduring impact of "9 to 5," Parton described it as a "wonderful thing to be able to be part of something that's been that powerful through the years" and "really amazing to be part of something that really can change the course of life for anybody," adding that she believed the film brought significant attention to gender equality.