Jennifer Nettles to Play Dolly Parton’s Mother in NBC’s ‘Coat of Many Colors’
Three well-known celebrities have joined the cast of a movie based on Dolly Parton’s childhood. Two are TV actors, but singer Jennifer Nettles is the third, and she's slotted to portray Parton’s mother.
Nettles will take the role of “Avie” in Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors, starring opposite of Ricky Schroeder’s “Lee,” Parton’s father. Gerald McRaney, who for years starred as the title character in Major Dad, an early ‘90s sitcom on CBS, will play Parton’s grandfather. When the news was announced, Nettles was excited to finally be able to talk about it, writing on Facebook:
"So the cat is out of bag and I can finally say, "Yaaaaaaaaaaaay"! I have been dying to tell. I am so excited!! #CoatOfManyColors."
The air date for Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors has not been revealed, but it will come sometime during the upcoming television season. It’s the first project from Parton’s development deal with NBC. She agreed to let the network produce several two-hour television movies based on her songs, stories and life. It’s not clear if she’ll play a role in this or any of the upcoming movies.
The gig is Nettles’ second major acting project. Earlier this year she made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago. Musically, she says she’s working on a new album, but last month she and her longtime label Mercury Nashville parted ways, so the future of that album isn’t clear.
Parton continues to record and tour. She closed July with her first Nashville shows in over a decade. For two nights she played the Ryman Auditorium. Proceeds from those shows went to the Dustin Wells Foundation, the W.O Smith School of Music and the Opry Trust Fund, which provides financial assistance for members of the music community to cover healthcare costs.
See Dolly Parton + More as Kids