Dolly Parton - ©Theda Bara

Dolly Parton, one of my favorite actresses and singers, passed away yesterday, August 25, at the age of 80. She became a legend of American country music, universally acclaimed and an extremely beloved figure in the United States due to her generosity, charisma, and significant philanthropic work.

Dolly Parton acted in several films, but the one that cemented her fame was a project for which she wrote both the screenplay and the music: “9 to 5” (1980). The film was nominated for an Oscar in 1981 but did not win the statuette. In the plot, Dolly plays “Doralee” alongside Jane Seymour Fonda (1937–) as “Judy” and Lily Tomlin, born Mary Jean Tomlin (1939–) as “Violet”; three employees of a sexist and prejudiced boss played by Dabney Wharton Coleman (1932–) as “Frank Hart”. In the story, the three women end up kidnapping the boss and holding him prisoner in his own home. While holding him captive, the trio takes charge of the office.

Dolly Parton did not win an Oscar for acting, whether as a lead or supporting actress, or for Best Original Song, but she did receive an honorary Oscar, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, in November 2025.

Among her best-known songs are: “I Will Always Love You” (1973), originally written and recorded by Dolly as a farewell to her musical partner Porter Wagoner (1927–2007), a track that became a global phenomenon years later when performed by Whitney Elizabeth Houston (1963–2012); “Jolene” (1973), one of the most famous melodies in country music history, telling the story of a woman pleading with a stunning redhead not to steal her partner; “9 to 5” (1980), an upbeat pop-country anthem about the exhausting routine of office work, featured in the film of the same name in which she starred; and “Coat of Many Colors” (1971), a moving, autobiographical song about a coat made of scraps, sewn by her mother when she was a child. There is also “Islands in the Stream” (1983), an unforgettable duet recorded with Kenneth Donald “Kenny” Rogers (1938–2020), which achieved enormous success on pop and country music charts, among others.

Dolly Parton received 54 Grammy nominations, winning eleven times (including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011). She also won seven Golden Globe Awards between 1981 and 2019.

Dolly Parton has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, awarded in 1984. Located at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, the star honors her significant contribution to the recording industry.

Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, United States, and passed away (as previously mentioned) on August 25, 2026, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.

Dolly Parton married only once, to Carl Thomas Dean (1942–2025), the owner of an asphalt paving company in Nashville. The couple lived together for 59 years, from 1966 to 2025. They had no biological or adopted children. The singer repeatedly stated that the absence of heirs gave her the freedom needed to work and build her musical career.

Richard Dreyfuss - ©Theda Bara

 

The name I highlight in this post is Richard Dreyfuss, an American actor best known for his work in the 1970s and 1990s. Dreyfuss won few awards during those decades, but in 1978, he won the highest award in cinema, the Academy Award for Best Actor for “The Goodbye Girl” (1977), playing the character “Elliot Garfield”.

In addition to the 1978 Best Actor Oscar, “The Goodbye Girl” earned Richard Dreyfuss the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor.

Richard Dreyfuss has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard, in the Film category.

Richard Stephen Dreyfuss was born on October 29, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York, United States, and is 78 years old.

Richard Dreyfuss has been married three times throughout his life. His first marriage was to American screenwriter and film producer Jeramie Rain (1948-), from 1983 to 1995. The couple had three children: journalist Emily Dreyfuss (1983-), journalist Benjamin Dreyfuss, known as Ben Dreyfuss (1986-), and actor Harry Dreyfuss (1990-). In 2025, Dreyfuss revealed that he had been estranged from his three children for almost a decade. The reason for the estrangement, according to his youngest son, Harry, was a sexual assault he suffered in 2008, in the presence of his father (who did nothing), allegedly committed by American actor, director, screenwriter, producer and comedian Kevin Spacey Fowler (1959-); His second marriage was to socialite Janelle Lacey (1970-), from 1999 to 2005; and his current wife is Russian-American socialite Svetlana Erokhin (1960-), whom he has been married to since 2006.

Haiku: Flowers For Myself - ©Theda Bara

Haiku and Art by ©Theda Bara — 2026

 I went to the garden
And picked flowers
For myself!

 

🎨 Painting by Daniel Ridgway Knight (1839-1924) “Young woman seated in a garden picking flowers” ​​(American Public Domain)

Robert De Niro - ©Theda Bara

The name I want to highlight in this post is that of today's birthday boy, the American actor and producer Robert De Niro, who turns 82.

 

De Niro became known for his partnership with American filmmaker Martin Charles Scorsese (1942-), which began in the classic 1976 film, “Taxi Driver”, where plays the somewhat neurotic taxi driver “Travis Bickle”. 

 

The actor has received numerous awards, including two Oscars: one for Best Actor in 1981, for “Raging Bull” (1980), in the role of “Jake LaMotta”, an Italian-American middleweight boxer whose self-destructive and obsessive rage destroyed his personal relationships and career; and, previously, in 1975, for Best Supporting Actor in “The Godfather Part II” (1974), in the role of “young, Vito Corleone”.

Robert De Niro also won two Golden Globes: one for Best Actor in a Dramatic Film (1981); and the Cecil B. DeMille special in 2011, for his contributions to the film industry. He also won a Golden Lion: Honor Award in 1993 and an MTV Movie Award: Best Special Appearance in a Television Series in 2001.

Robert De Niro does not yet have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, although he was announced on the 2019 list of honorees. But even though he was selected, the star has not yet had his star placed on the Walk of Fame, as the actor did not want to bear the costs of maintaining the award.

Robert Anthony De Niro was born on August 17, 1943, in Manhattan, New York, United States.

Robert De Niro maintained a romantic relationship for approximately 8 years, between 1988 and 1996, with the American actress and model Toukie Smith (1952-), sister of actor Willi Smith (1968-). De Niro and Toukie have American twin children, actor Julian De Niro (1995-) and actress Airyn De Niro (1995-). The actor was married twice: the first to the American actress Diahnne Abbott (1945-) from 1976 to 1988. With whom he had a son, the American real estate agent Raphael Eugene De Niro (1976-) and 9 years earlier they adopted the now American actress and filmmaker Drena De Niro (1967-); his second marriage was to American socialite, philanthropist and actress Grace Hightower (1955-) from 1997 to 2018. The couple has one son, American tennis player Elliot De Niro (1998-); His current relationship is with Hippo-American Tai Chi instructor and martial arts champion Tiffany Chen (1980-), with whom he has been together since 2021 without getting married. The couple has a daughter, Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro (2023-).

Haiku: Funny Face - ©Theda Bara

Haiku and Art by ©Theda Bara — 2026

Eyes where the mouth should be, mouth where the ears should be...
Ears where the nose should be...
What a funny face, my God!