Tina Fey adds Dolly Parton to her list of impersonations

Actress/writer Tina Fey reacts on the red carpet for the 21st Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on October 21, 2018.

(Image credit: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

published 15 June 2021

We all know about Tina Fey’s brilliant ability to do hilarious impressions of high-profile people (we still think about her spot-on impression of former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin).

Now, the comedian has added a new celebrity to her list: country singer Dolly Parton.

Tina is the executive producer of new Peacock show Girls5eva, a comedy about a 1990s girl group trying to have a comeback. And now, we learn, Tina doesn’t stay entirely behind the scenes, but makes a cameo as Dolly.

More from woman&home:

• What really happened to The Serpent’s Ajay, Charles Sobhraj’s accomplice?
• Best scented candles for a warm and cozy home this winter
• Best kindles for digital book lovers—we help you decide which one to buy

The series has hit the NBC streaming service, and if you tune into the fourth episode you’ll be able to see how Tina’s Dolly matches up to her other celebrity impressions.

The actress was not expecting to take on the role. In fact, it was a split last-minute decision. During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Tina revealed that after unsuccessful attempts to get Dolly to guest star on the show, she was ultimately chosen.

“No one asked for this,” Tina laughed during the interview. “It was the middle of the pandemic when we shot this whole show and we just kept being like, ‘We’re going to try and get Dolly Parton to maybe really do this crazy episode.”

She went on to explain that Dolly ended up not accepting due to safety concerns around Covid-19. That left the team wondering who could take on the role instead.

“The clock was running down, and it was Covid... and it was like who’s around, who’s already Covid-tested and in the system, and it was me,” Tina told Jimmy.

Feeling nervous and embarrassed about her impersonation, she practiced using one of Dolly’s Christmas movies as her main inspiration.

She then made the joke that that’s how she’s “gotten most of [her] acting jobs”.

We hope Tina is kind to our favourite country icon.

Rylee is a U.S. news writer who previously worked for woman&home and My Imperfect Life covering lifestyle, celebrity, and fashion news. Before joining woman&home and My Imperfect Life, Rylee studied journalism at Hofstra University where she explored her interests in world politics and magazine writing. From there, she dabbled in freelance writing covering fashion and beauty e-commerce for outlets such as the TODAY show, American Spa Magazine, First for Women, and Woman’s World.