6 Things You Never Knew About Dolly Parton’s Hit TV Movie ‘Coat Of Many Colors’

1. Dolly Didn’t Recognize Jennifer Nettles When She Auditioned

From the get-go, Dolly had a specific person in mind to play her father, Robert. As she told Nash Country Daily, she felt that Ricky Schroder would be the perfect fit for the role. Her feelings were right on point, because Ricky was cast as Robert and has earned great praise for his performance in both of the Coat of Many Colors films.

But when it came to casting her mother, Dolly didn’t have anyone specific in mind. Many talented actresses sent in audition tapes for the role, but one brunette beauty caught Dolly’s attention right away. It was Jennifer Nettles, who is a country music artist and one half of the popular duo Sugarland.

Even though Dolly was drawn to Jennifer’s audition, she admits that she had no idea who she was! Jennifer had darkened her hair to match Avie’s brunette hue, and she resembled her so much that Dolly could only see her mama.

I didn’t even realize it was her,” Dolly said. “We were just looking and I said ‘that’s mama, that’s mama!’ They said ‘do you know who that is?’ and I said, ‘It’s mama!’ The rest is history because I thought Jennifer was so perfect.

Jennifer ended up getting the part, and like Ricky, has received immense praise for her portrayal of Avie Lee.

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