What Happened To The Kids Who Played Dolly Parton & Her Siblings In The “Coat Of Many Colors” Movies?
on Jul 28, 2026
In 2015, Dolly Parton shared a glimpse into her childhood through the made-for-TV movie Coat of Many Colors, named after her beloved song of the same title. Audiences adored the film, leading to the creation of a sequel, Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love, which debuted in 2016.
Both movies highlighted Dolly’s humble beginnings growing up in a tiny cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.
The films showcase how her parents, Avie Lee and Lee Parton (played by Jennifer Nettles and Rickey Shroder), overcame a series of hardships, mourned the loss of a child, and raised their ever-growing family. Avie Lee leaned on her faith to get them through it all, while Lee’s relationship with his faith grew throughout the movies.
In real life, Dolly is the fourth of her parents’ 12 children. Counting Dolly, nine of the Parton children are introduced in the Coat of Many Colors films (sadly, baby Larry dies in the first movie, and is not portrayed by an actor on-screen).
The talented young actors who played Dolly and her siblings stole the show, but where are they today? Are any of them still acting?
We’re here to help catch you up on their lives now!
Carson Meyer (Willadeene Parton)
Carson Meyer made her acting debut as the eldest Parton sibling, Willadeene, in the original Coat of Many Colors movie. After that, she went on to star in projects such as Heartbeat, A Million Little Pieces, SPF-18, and Mrs. White Light.
Her last acting credit listed on IMDb is in the 2020 drama film Minyan.
Carson is the founder of a non-toxic skincare line called C & The Moon. Her biography on the brand’s website states that she graduated from New York University, where she studied alternative health and the mind/body connection.
Additionally, Carson serves as a birth doula who’s supported famous clients such as Mandy Moore and Gigi Hadid. She’s also a published author. Her book, Growing Together: Doula Wisdom & Holistic Practices for Pregnancy, Birth, & Early Motherhood, was released in 2025.
Carson now has two children of her own with her husband, Johnathan. You can keep up with her on Instagram, where she has over 56,000 followers.
Kelli Berglund (Willadeene Parton)
Carson Meyer did not reprise her role as Dolly Parton’s big sister, Willadeene, in Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love. The role was recast for the sequel, with Kelli Berglund stepping into Willadeene’s shoes instead.
Prior to Christmas of Many Colors, Kelli was a main cast member on the Disney XD series Lab Rats from 2012 to 2016.
Kelli has maintained an incredibly active acting career since then. She has starred in episodes of TV series such as Now Apocalypse, The Night Shift, Animal Kingdom, and The Goldbergs.
She’s also known for playing Crystal Tyler in the Starz series Heels. She appeared in 16 episodes of the series between 2021 and 2023.
Kelli remains active as an actress and shares frequent posts on Instagram, where she has over 1.3 million followers. She has been in a long-term relationship with musician Tyler Wilson, and they got engaged in 2024.
Parker Sack (David Parton)
Other than appearing in a short called Stephanie’s Story in 2015, Coat of Many Colors marked Parker Sack’s acting debut. He played the eldest Parton son, David, in both the original film and its holiday-themed sequel.
Parker is still acting today. Over the years, he’s had roles in projects such as Tales, Queens, Dopesick, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, Loverun, Unstoppable, and The Wife Who Knew Too Much.
The last role listed on Parker’s IMDb page was in the 2026 short film Untold Valor. He played Private First Class Hudson. You can keep up with his life and career on Instagram, alongside his other 5,000+ followers.
Dylan Rowen (Coy “Denver” Parton)
Dylan Rowen landed roles in a few small projects before playing Dolly Parton’s big brother, Denver, in Coat of Many Colors and its sequel.
He acted in the shorts Send in the Clowns and Airtises between the two movies, and also appeared in an episode of the TV series Homicide Hunter.
After reprising his role as Denver in Christmas of Many Colors, Dylan starred in a 2017 episode of the country music-themed TV series Nashville. His IMDb page only lists two roles after that: he appeared in the short project Savory Sacs in 2018, and acted in an episode of the TV series Famously Afraid in 2019.
Dylan seems to be more focused on making music at the moment. He maintains a fairly active presence on Instagram, where he has over 16,000 followers.
Alyvia Alyn Lind (Dolly Parton)
Alyvia Alyn Lind delivered a charming performance as “Little Dolly” in both of the Coat of Many Colors films. She was only eight years old when the first movie premiered, which made her performance even more remarkable.
Alyvia comes from a showbiz family: her mother is actress Barbara Alyn Woods, and her father is producer John Lind. Her sisters are actresses Emily and Natalie Alyn Lind (the latter plays Oreana Jackson on Dutton Ranch).
Because of her background, Alyvia began acting early in life. She started playing Faith Newman on the soap opera The Young and the Restless in 2011 and held that role until 2021.
Alyvia has been quite busy since starring in Coat of Many Colors. She’s portrayed main characters in multiple TV series, including Daybreak, Chucky, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and Wayward. She also appeared in the films Overboard, Masquerade, and Walk. Ride. Rodeo.
Alyvia has over 433,000 followers on Instagram, where she shares career updates and photos. Fingers crossed that she will join her sister Natalie on Dutton Ranch one day!
Blane Crockarell (Bobby Parton)
Blane Crockarell made his acting debut in Coat of Many Colors. He played Dolly Parton’s little brother, Bobby, in the first film and its sequel.
The young actor has only appeared in a few projects since portraying a member of the Parton family. He acted in an episode of the TV series The Resident and starred in the films The Wretched, A Nashville Christmas Carol, Chaos Walking, and Autumn.
Blane hasn’t posted on Instagram since November 2025. But scrolling through his feed, you can see some candid photos from when he played Bobby Parton.
Farrah Mackenzie (Stella Parton)
Farrah Mackenzie was born in 2005 and made her acting debut in 2011, playing a little girl in the short film The Heart’s Eye View. She appeared in a series of TV shows, shorts, and movies before being cast as Dolly Parton’s little sister, Stella, in Coat of Many Colors.
Between the original film and its sequel, Farrah acted in Alien Hunter, Stuck in the Middle, and Apartment 407. Her career gained even more traction after Christmas of Many Colors, as she starred in Logan Lucky, Please Stand By, and Lawless Range.
Farrah is most well-known for her roles in the TV shows Utopia and United States of Al. She appeared in eight episodes of the former and 29 episodes of the latter.
Currently, 20-year-old Farrah has a private Instagram account with roughly 25,000 followers.
Fun fact: the real-life Stella Parton appears in the Coat of Many Colors movies. She played the gossipy town market owner Corla Bass.
Hannah Goergen (Cassie Parton)
Dolly’s little sister, Cassie Parton, was not a character in the first Coat of Many Colors film. She first appeared in Christmas of Many Colors, and was portrayed by actress Hannah Goergen in her acting debut.
Hannah has only appeared in a few projects since then. She starred in an episode of Mr. Mercedes in 2017, followed by Blockers and Student Teacher.
Her IMDb page lists her last credit as a “Young Friend” in the short film Always Forward. The project also starred her brother, Sam Goergen. The two of them have a private, joint Instagram account.
Carter & Colby Zier (Randy Parton)
Carter and Colby Zier both played Dolly Parton’s baby brother, Randy, in Christmas of Many Colors. It’s common practice in the film and TV industry for twins to play babies or young children to limit the little ones’ time spent on set.
The Zier boys didn’t continue acting beyond their early childhood. They split roles in two more projects, Manhunt and A Bad Moms Christmas, before seemingly leaving the industry.
There was a baby in the first Coat of Many Colors movie, which may have been meant to represent Randy, but his role was uncredited (or the baby may have been Cassie; either way, the role was not attributed to anyone). That film showed how Dolly and her family became stronger following the loss of another baby, Larry.
In real life, Randy was born on December 15, 1953. Larry was born nearly two years later, in 1955, and passed away four days after his birth.
The Partons welcomed three more children after Larry passed away: twins Floyd and Frieda, and baby sister Rachel. None of them were portrayed in the Coat of Many Colors movies.
That’s everything we know about the young actors who played Dolly Parton and her siblings in her two TV movies! It’s hard to believe how fast they’ve all grown up.
