Dolly Parton made her big-screen debut in 1980’s 9 to 5, starring as the sharp-witted secretary Doralee Rhodes. But one of her most unforgettable lines from the film wasn’t just acting; it was inspired by a frightening real-life encounter she once had in New York City.
In a 2005 interview with Conan O’Brien, Parton recounted the real-life experience that found its way into the 9 to 5 script, a film she starred in alongside Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. Parton, as Doralee, confronted her sexist boss, Franklin Hart Jr. (Dabney Coleman), after he made unwanted advances towards her. Fed up with his behavior, turned the tables, warning she would “turn him from a rooster into a hen,” with one shot.
The movie was a breakout moment for the character, showcasing Doralee’s assertiveness. It would go on to become one of the film’s standout lines and captured the feminist spirit of 9 to 5.
However, what filmgoers didn’t know was that the entire scene was loosely based on a story Parton told about a frightening New York City experience, where Parton’s quick wit got her out of a perilous situation.
“I guess it was in the late ’60s, early ’70s. And of course, all country girls want to go to the city,” she began.
“So I thought, ‘well, we’ll just go to New York.’ So my friend and I came up here and got one room, and of course, I looked cheaper then than I do now. So we checked into this hotel and they thought we were hookers.”
“We came back to our room and they had our luggage out in the hall and they locked us out. So we walked around until it was time to leave and we ended up on 42nd street,” Parton continued.
“We didn’t know where we were. I was a country girl from the mountains, and I had a gun in my purse. This guy [on the street] wouldn’t leave me alone cause he was sure I was playing hard to get. So I just pulled my gun out and I said, ‘If you touch me one more time I’m gonna shoot you,’ so he backed off.”
“So we used that line in 9 to 5 when I said, ‘I’ll turn you from a rooster to a hen with one shot.’ I think they based it on the story I told,” she concluded.
Dolly Parton’s quick thinking and humor turned a real-life scary encounter into one of her most iconic 9 to 5 moments. The film cemented her status as a big-screen star and would be followed by roles in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rhinestone, Steel Magnolias, and Straight Talk.
