It is 1980. Three women are hunched over a desk, plotting to kidnap their boss with a garage door opener and a healthy dose of stolen office supplies. If you haven't seen it lately, you've probably forgotten just how radical the movie nine to five cast really was. This wasn't just a slapstick comedy about photocopiers and bad coffee. It was a revolution disguised as a farce.
Most people think this movie was just a vehicle for a catchy Dolly Parton song. Honestly? It was so much more. Jane Fonda actually spearheaded the project through her company, IPC Films. She’d been talking to Karen Nussbaum, who started an actual organization called 9to5 for women office workers. The stories she heard were grim. We’re talking about blatant sexism, being passed over for promotions by men they literally trained, and being treated like furniture. Fonda knew she had to put this on screen, but she realized a heavy drama would feel like a "soapbox" lecture. So, she turned it into a comedy.
Basically, the brilliance of the movie nine to five cast is that it feels like three friends actually hanging out, which is rare for a big-budget Hollywood production.
Why the movie nine to five cast worked (And almost didn't)
The chemistry between Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton is legendary now, but back in the late 70s, this was a massive gamble.
Dolly Parton had never been in a movie. Not one. Jane Fonda saw her on TV and just had a gut feeling that her songwriting depth meant she could act. Dolly agreed to do it on one condition: she got to write the theme song. She famously used her acrylic fingernails on set to mimic the clacking sound of a typewriter, which is the beat you hear at the start of the track.
Lily Tomlin almost walked away. She was exhausted from filming The Incredible Shrinking Woman and thought she couldn't give the character of Violet enough energy. It was her partner, Jane Wagner, who talked her into staying. Thank god she did. Can you imagine anyone else delivering those dry, blistering lines to Dabney Coleman?
The Core Three: More than just secretaries
- Jane Fonda as Judy Bernly: The "new girl" who enters the workforce after her husband runs off with his secretary. She represents the thousands of women in the 80s forced into the labor market with zero experience.
- Lily Tomlin as Violet Newstead: The veteran. She knows where the bodies are buried, she runs the office, and she is constantly passed over for "the boys." She’s the brains of the operation.
- Dolly Parton as Doralee Rhodes: The misunderstood "backwoods" beauty who everyone thinks is sleeping with the boss. In reality, she’s a happily married woman who just happens to be efficient and kind.
The fourth "star" was Dabney Coleman as Franklin Hart Jr., the "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot." Coleman was so good at being bad that he became the definitive 80s movie villain. He wasn't just a cartoon; he was that boss everyone has had at least once. The one who steals your ideas and asks you to buy his wife's anniversary present.
Secrets from the set of Consolidated Companies
When they were filming, Dolly Parton didn't quite get how movies worked. She thought she had to memorize the entire script—not just her lines, but Jane’s and Lily’s too. When she showed up on day one knowing every single word in the 100-page screenplay, Fonda and Tomlin were floored. They had to gently explain that she only needed to know her own parts.
The movie was originally much darker. In the first drafts, the women actually tried to kill the boss. Screenwriter Patricia Resnick had a version where it was a black comedy ending in a much more permanent way for Mr. Hart. Director Colin Higgins was the one who leaned into the "Looney Tunes" energy, turning those murder attempts into the famous fantasy sequences induced by a little bit of "pot" smoking.
Speaking of those sequences, they were revolutionary for 1980. Seeing three "respectable" office workers get high and imagine hunting their boss like a dog or poisoning his coffee with "Skinny & Sweet" was unheard of for a mainstream commercial film. It worked because the audience was already so frustrated on their behalf.
The supporting players you forgot
While the big three get the glory, the supporting movie nine to five cast filled out the world perfectly.
- Elizabeth Wilson as Roz Keith: The office snitch. She was the "eyes and ears" for Hart, and her devotion to him was both hilarious and pathetic.
- Sterling Hayden as Russell Tinsworthy: The Chairman of the Board. He appears at the end to congratulate Hart on the "productivity" the women actually created, while casually mentioning that "equal pay" has to go. It’s a stinging reminder that the system hadn't really changed.
- Marian Mercer as Missy Hart: The oblivious wife who had no idea her husband was a monster.
The 2026 Perspective: Where are they now?
It’s been over 45 years. As of early 2026, the legacy of this cast is still massive.
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin basically reinvented their partnership for a new generation with Grace and Frankie, proving that their 1980 chemistry wasn't a fluke. They are still out there, activists to the core. Dolly Parton, meanwhile, has become a literal living saint with her literacy programs and vaccine funding.
We lost Dabney Coleman recently, but his performance remains the gold standard for "the boss you love to hate." He and Jane Fonda actually worked together again right after this in On Golden Pond, which shows just how much the cast respected his craft despite him playing a creep.
What users often ask about the cast
People always want to know if there was a sequel. There were talks. For years. Rashida Jones was even attached to write a reboot/sequel around 2018. But in late 2019, Dolly confirmed the plans were dropped. They couldn't get the script right. They felt the original was so "perfect" in its moment that trying to recreate it might tarnish the brand.
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Instead, we got the documentary Still Working 9 to 5 which premiered a few years back. It’s a great watch because it brings the original movie nine to five cast back together to talk about why the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) still hasn't passed. It turns out, the movie is still "unfinished business."
How to use the 9 to 5 mindset today
If you’re looking at the movie nine to five cast and wondering why it still hits home, it's because the "Rich Man's Game" hasn't fully ended.
- Audit your own "office politics": Are the "Violets" in your office being ignored while the "Harts" get the credit?
- The power of the trio: The movie proves that one person complaining is a "troublemaker," but three people together is a movement.
- Document everything: Judy's character starts by taking notes. Whether it's 1980 or 2026, a paper trail is your best friend when dealing with a hypocritical bigot.
The real "actionable insight" here? Go back and watch the film, but look past the shoulder pads. Look at the way they restructured the office when the boss was gone. They implemented job sharing, flexible hours, and an on-site daycare. Those were considered "radical" and "hilarious" fantasies in 1980. Today, they are the hallmarks of a healthy workplace.
The movie nine to five cast didn't just make a funny movie. They wrote a blueprint for a better way to work. We’re still just trying to catch up to them.
Next Steps for the 9 to 5 Enthusiast:
- Watch the 2022 documentary Still Working 9 to 5 to see the cast's final interviews together.
- Listen to the original soundtrack and notice the "fingernail" percussion in the title track.
- Research the 9to5.org organization that inspired the film; they are still active and fighting for labor rights today.