For decades, Dolly Parton was known for saying exactly what was on her mind, usually with enough humor to make even the most personal question feel harmless. Whether she was talking about music, marriage, Hollywood, or the larger-than-life image she created for herself, Dolly had a gift for answering with honesty while making everyone around her laugh.
That was especially true whenever interviewers asked about the famous leading men she worked with during her movie career.
Over the years, Dolly appeared opposite some of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors, including Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds, James Woods, and others. Naturally, late-night hosts eventually began asking the question fans probably wondered themselves: which of those men had impressed Dolly the most during romantic scenes?
Her answer was classic Dolly.
During an interview with Jay Leno, Dolly joked that all of her leading men had tempted her in one way or another. She quickly reminded the audience that being married did not mean she had stopped noticing attractive men, delivering the kind of playful response that made her interviews almost as entertaining as her performances.
But when the conversation became more specific, Dolly did not hesitate.
She named Sylvester Stallone.
Dolly and Stallone had starred together in the 1984 musical comedy Rhinestone, a movie that paired two personalities who seemed almost comically different. Dolly played country singer Jake Farris, while Stallone portrayed a New York cab driver she attempts to transform into a country performer.
The film itself received mixed reactions, but Dolly and Stallone’s unusual chemistry became one of the most memorable parts of the project.
Years later, when asked about the actors she had kissed on screen, Dolly described Stallone as “the best kisser for sure.” She even joked about his famously full lips, remembering them with the same mischievous humor that had made her such a beloved interview guest.
For fans who associated Stallone primarily with Rocky and Rambo, the revelation was unexpected.
The tough action star and the Queen of Country hardly seemed like the most obvious romantic pairing.
Yet Dolly appeared to remember the experience fondly.
Stallone was not the only Hollywood actor who earned praise from her, however.
Another name quickly entered the conversation: James Woods.
Dolly worked with Woods in the 1992 romantic comedy Straight Talk, in which she played Shirlee Kenyon, a woman who unexpectedly becomes a popular radio personality after moving to Chicago. Woods played investigative reporter Jack Russell, whose initial suspicion of Shirlee gradually turns into something much warmer.
While speaking with David Letterman, Dolly recalled that she and Woods genuinely enjoyed working together. Their scenes required close choreography, dancing, and eventually romantic moments, and Dolly said that their natural chemistry made those sequences surprisingly convincing.
She described Woods as very passionate and openly acknowledged that he was a great kisser.
The way Dolly discussed those scenes said a great deal about her personality.
She never treated Hollywood glamour too seriously.
Instead of presenting herself as embarrassed by the question or pretending that romantic scenes were purely mechanical, Dolly answered with humor and a refreshing lack of pretension. She could acknowledge that an actor was attractive while still reminding everyone that she remained devoted to her husband, Carl Dean.
That balance was part of what made Dolly so entertaining in interviews.
She understood the joke.
She participated in it.
But she was always in control of the story.
Her movie career gave audiences another side of Dolly beyond country music. Films such as 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias, Rhinestone, and Straight Talk allowed her to work alongside major Hollywood names while proving that her charisma could survive far beyond a concert stage.
Yet even while working in Hollywood, Dolly never seemed interested in becoming a conventional movie star.
She remained unmistakably herself.
The hair stayed big.
The jokes stayed sharp.
The Tennessee accent never disappeared.
And when interviewers asked questions other celebrities might have avoided, Dolly often turned them into some of the most memorable moments of the conversation.
Looking back now, those old interviews have taken on a different kind of value.
They capture Dolly before nostalgia surrounded every story she told, laughing about the strange places fame had taken her and speaking about Hollywood actors with the same ease she used when telling stories about growing up in the Smoky Mountains.
After Dolly’s death in August 2026, both James Woods and Sylvester Stallone publicly remembered their former co-star. Woods shared a tribute describing Dolly with deep affection, while Stallone recalled one of the more chaotic moments they experienced together while filming.
Those tributes make Dolly’s old comments feel even warmer today.
What once sounded like a funny late-night interview answer has become part of the larger collection of memories surrounding a woman who seemed capable of making almost every person she worked with remember her fondly.
So who was Hollywood’s best kisser according to Dolly Parton?
If Dolly had to choose, Sylvester Stallone appeared to take the crown.
But James Woods was apparently not far behind.
And somehow, only Dolly Parton could tell a story like that and make it feel charming, funny, and completely unforgettable.