Dolly Parton nearly followed a secretary and a Texas madam with an evil witch.
In a resurfaced 1982 Entertainment Tonight interview, Parton revealed that she was considering the villain role in what became 1984’s Supergirl. “I might do it,” she said of the part later played by Faye Dunaway.
Parton knew the character would be a witch opposing Supergirl, but she also described her as funny and magical. Her immediate concern was spending three months in London for the production.
By 1992, Parton had another reason for passing. She told the Chicago Tribune that she had been offered $7 million for the role but did not want to play an evil character.
Parton Said She ‘Might’ Play the Witch
Parton discussed Supergirl while promoting The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 1982. She described the potential part as a starring role for a witch who would be the force working against the young superhero.
“She’s funny and she’s magical and she’s all this and that,” Parton said. “And I might do it.”
Filming would have required her to leave home for about three months. Parton joked that going “from a secretary to a madame to a witch wouldn’t be bad,” referring to her roles in 9 to 5 and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
A $7 Million Offer Did Not Change Her Mind
Parton discussed the movie again in a 1992 Chicago Tribune interview and said the offer eventually reached $7 million.
“I will not play just an evil part,” she said. Parton recalled being impressed by the money but also “kind of insulted” that she had been approached to play what she called an “evil witch.”
She said she was not trying to protect a spotless screen image. “I’m sure I can be an evil witch at times,” Parton joked, but said that was not her nature and she had no interest in taking the role.
Parton described herself as “an entertainer more than an actress” and said she preferred work that allowed her to make audiences feel good.
Faye Dunaway Became Selena
Faye Dunaway ultimately played Selena opposite Helen Slater in the 1984 film. DC describes the character as a woman involved in occult practices who takes possession of a Kryptonian power source after it reaches Earth.
Selena uses the Omegahedron to increase her supernatural power and eventually faces Slater’s Kara Zor-El. The cast also included Peter O’Toole, Mia Farrow, Brenda Vaccaro and Peter Cook.
Slater made her feature film debut as Supergirl. Jeannot Szwarc directed the movie, which reached U.S. theaters in 1984.
Parton Made ‘Rhinestone’ Instead
Parton’s next feature after The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas was Rhinestone, the 1984 comedy she made with Sylvester Stallone. She played country singer Jake Farris, who bets that she can turn Stallone’s New York cab driver into a country performer.
Her 1992 comments reflected the way she approached acting throughout that period. Parton said she preferred characters that remained reasonably close to her own personality because she did not consider herself the kind of actress who could disappear into any part.
She had one other requirement. Parton said she needed roles where she could keep her Southern accent, joking that otherwise she would “have to be a mute.”