Dolly Parton Mourns ‘Steel Magnolias’ Co-Star Olympia Dukakis: ‘She Was Such a Quality Human Being’
Dolly Parton took to Twitter on Monday night (May 3) in remembrance of her longtime friend and Steel Magnolias co-star, Olympia Dukakis, who died on Saturday (May 1) at the age of 89.
In addition to her work on the 1989 film Steel Magnolias, where she acted alongside Parton, Dukakis is known for her roles in films such as the 1987 classic Moonstruck, 2003 film The Event and many more. A 2018 documentary called Olympia chronicled her life, premiering at film festivals such as Doc NYC.
In her Monday evening post, Parton shared her experience of getting to know Dukakis, both as a professional collaborator and as a friend. "She has been one of my favorite people that I have ever known or worked with," the country superstar wrote.
"I really got very close to her and felt like we were good friends," Parton went on to say. "Even though I didn't get to see her much, I thought of her often and knew that she was such a quality human being. She will be missed by her fans, by her family, and those of us that were lucky enough to get to know her personally."
In Steel Magnolias, Parton plays the role of Truvy Jones, the resident town gossip and owner of a beauty salon. Meanwhile, Dukakis plays Clairee Belcher, the widow of the town's former mayor who patronizes Jones' salon.
Dukakis' brother, Apollo, announced her death on Saturday via a Facebook post, indicating that she died in New York City. "After many months of failing health, she is finally at peace and with her Louis," he wrote, in reference to the actor's longtime husband Louis Zorich, who died in 2018.