THE INSPIRATION
Writer and star Krew Boylan came up with the idea for lead character Red — an aimless Australian woman who finds new purpose as a Dolly Parton impersonator — while trying to figure out what success looks like. She landed on Parton. “She’s the only person that I think the world can agree on,” she observes. Boylan was already an avid fan of Parton’s movies, and had heard first-hand stories about her from friend John Higgins, brother of 9 To 5 director Colin. She also undertook a pilgrimage to Parton theme park Dollywood for a more immersive approach to learning about the star: “She’s got a few warehouses there that are just riddled with costumes that I loved going through.”