Dolly Parton’s Steel Magnolias Family Says Goodbye: Julia Roberts, Sally Field And Shirley MacLaine Remember Their Beloved Co-Star 37 Years After The Film That Bound Them Together

Thirty-seven years after Steel Magnolias turned an extraordinary ensemble of actresses into one of cinema’s most beloved groups of friends, Julia Roberts, Sally Field and Shirley MacLaine are mourning the woman who brought warmth, humour and unmistakable Dolly Parton spirit to Truvy Jones.

Parton died Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at age 80 following what her representatives described as a “brief battle with cancer.” Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced her death, and tributes quickly began arriving from across music, film and entertainment.

Among the most emotional came from the women who shared the screen with her in the 1989 classic Steel Magnolias.

Julia Roberts remembers a “magical and joyous” Dolly

Julia Roberts, who played Shelby Eatenton in the film, reflected on what knowing Parton had meant to her personally.

“Dolly was a magical and joyous human,” Roberts said in a statement to People. “I hold knowing her as a treasure in my life. The sun has dimmed today.”

The words carried particular weight for fans who remember Roberts and Parton together in Steel Magnolias, the Herbert Ross-directed adaptation of Robert Harling’s play.

Roberts was still early in her film career when she portrayed Shelby, the spirited daughter of Sally Field’s M’Lynn Eatenton. The performance helped establish Roberts as a major Hollywood talent and earned her an Academy Award nomination.

Parton, meanwhile, played Truvy Jones, the warm and endlessly talkative owner of the beauty salon that serves as one of the film’s central gathering places.

Sally Field: “There will never be another”

Sally Field shared a photograph of the Steel Magnolias cast while remembering Parton as someone whose kindness went far beyond her public image.

“If there are truly angels on earth, then we have just lost one,” Field wrote, adding that she adored Parton and would always treasure their time together.

Her tribute immediately brought memories of the film flooding back for longtime fans.

At the heart of Steel Magnolias is a group of Southern women who support one another through friendship, family struggles, celebrations and profound heartbreak. Alongside Field, Roberts and Parton, the celebrated ensemble included Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah and Olympia Dukakis, with Tom Skerritt and Sam Shepard also appearing.

Parton’s Truvy provided much of the movie’s warmth and humour, welcoming the women into her salon while becoming an essential member of their tight-knit circle.

Shirley MacLaine offers a simple farewell

Shirley MacLaine, now 92, offered one of the shortest but most poignant responses.

“God sent her to us, and she has returned home,” MacLaine said.

MacLaine portrayed the famously sharp-tongued Ouiser Boudreaux in Steel Magnolias, giving the film some of its most memorable comic exchanges.

Her tribute joined an outpouring of remembrances that emphasized not merely Parton’s enormous career but the generosity and warmth colleagues experienced when working alongside her.

Daryl Hannah also remembered Parton following her death, praising her generosity, humour and extraordinary talent.

Steel Magnolias became one of Dolly Parton’s defining film roles

By the time Steel Magnolias arrived in theaters in 1989, Parton was already far more than a country music superstar.

She had successfully crossed into Hollywood with 9 to 5 in 1980 alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. She later appeared in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rhinestone and other projects before taking on Truvy.

But Steel Magnolias became one of the most enduring films of her acting career.

The role was particularly appropriate for Parton because the beauty-salon environment felt familiar to her.

Looking back on the movie years later, Parton recalled doing her mother’s hair and said she was good with her hands, which helped her identify naturally with Truvy. She considered herself a particularly good fit for the character.

That connection showed onscreen.

Truvy was glamorous and funny, but she was also compassionate — someone who listened when other people needed to talk and whose salon became a place where friendship could flourish.

A film about friendship that created lasting friendships of its own

Much of Steel Magnolias takes place around ordinary conversations between women.

They tease one another. They disagree. They share gossip and celebrations. And when tragedy arrives, they stand beside one another.

That combination of humour and heartbreak helped the film become an enduring audience favourite, while its ensemble became inseparable from its legacy.

Behind the scenes, Parton also developed a strong bond with her fellow actresses. Years later, she continued to speak affectionately about working with the women in the film, while her co-stars remembered her humility and supportive nature.

Those relationships make the tributes arriving 37 years later especially poignant.

The women who once portrayed a fictional circle of friends supporting each other through loss are now saying goodbye to one of their own.

Dolly Parton’s legacy stretched far beyond the screen

Although Truvy remains one of Parton’s best-known movie characters, acting represented only one part of an extraordinary career.

Parton rose from humble beginnings in Tennessee to become one of the most influential figures in country music, building a catalogue that included classics such as “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.” She sold more than 100 million records and became a rare entertainer whose appeal crossed generations and genres.

Her influence also reached far beyond entertainment.

Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, millions of books have been provided to children, while her philanthropic work extended to disaster relief, education and medical research. Following her death, Parton’s family encouraged those wishing to honour her to donate to the Imagination Library rather than send flowers.

Tributes have consequently arrived from an extraordinary range of figures, including Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Jane Fonda, Reba McEntire and many others.

Yet the messages from Roberts, Field and MacLaine offer something uniquely personal.

For generations of viewers, they will forever be Shelby, M’Lynn, Ouiser and Truvy — four members of a cinematic family whose story taught audiences something about friendship, resilience, laughter and loss.

Now, nearly four decades later, the women of Steel Magnolias are facing a real farewell of their own.

And their messages make clear that Dolly Parton was more than an unforgettable co-star.

She was someone they loved.