Dolly Parton just made this little girl’s year
Dolly Parton is a legend, a sage, and, as she proved yesterday, someone who makes dreams come true in real life.
The country music legend gave one seven-year-old actress, Alyvia Lind, the thrill of her whole year when Dolly announced live on air that Alyvia had been selected to play the role of Young Dolly in her autobiographical TV movie, Coat of Many Colors.
Alyvia totally didn’t know it was coming. She had been invited to the Today Show for what she thought was a routine meeting with producers. Instead, Dolly surprised Alyvia with the big news while cameras were rolling. “What we’re really here to do is to announce that you have been chosen to play little Dolly in the movie,” Dolly said with her signature smile. Alyvia had to keep picking her jaw up off the floor. She even managed to squeeze out oh my gosh a few times.
Yeah, we would’ve fainted. Way to keep it together like a pro, Alyvia!
Alyvia, who turns eight at the end of the month, caught Dolly’s eye during the audition process. Dolly chalked it up to her boundless talent and having “that special little thing”. I mean really—at seven years old, it’s no wonder Alyvia has credits on The Young and the Restless, Masters of Sex, Transparent, and A Deadly Adoption (a Will Ferrell/Kristen Wiig Lifetime movie parody that we now definitely have to see).
Coat of Many Colors will be the first in a series of films from NBC about Dolly’s upbringing in East Tennessee. (The title was taken from Parton’s autobiographical song of the same name.)
Though there hasn’t been an exact release date, NBC did shed a bit more light on its subject matter. According to the network, the movie is about Parton’s family and their ability to “discover the healing power of love, faith and a raggedy patchwork coat that helped make Dolly who she is today”.
We can’t wait to see what little Alyvia does with this very special role! Til then, we’re just enjoying this moment (almost) as much as Alyvia is. Catch all of the heartwarming action below.
[Image courtesy NBC]
