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13 Surprising Things Most Fans Dont Know About Steel Magnolias

Sometimes, you just want to sit down and have a good cry. There doesn’t have to be any particular reason, but every now and then we all just need a little emotional relief. When I’m in that mood, I always pop in one of my favorite tearjerker films:Steel Magnolias.

Despite the manytimes I’ve seen it (and they’ve been a lot), there’s still so much behind-the-scene triviasurrounding the cast and crew that I had no clue about! For instance, I had no idea it actuallystarted as a play, or how personal a story it was for its writer.

Take a look below to see even more heartwarming facts that you probably never knewabout the beautiful film.

Let us know in the comments if we missed any other fascinating pieces ofSteel Magnolias trivia, and be sure to SHARE with your friends!

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1. The Writer Thought Julia Roberts Reminded Him Of His Sister

YouTube / Movie Clips

Robert Harling, who wrote the play and film based on his sister’s real-life health struggles, confessed about Julia, “She walked into the room and that smile lit everything up and I said Thats my sister.

2. However, Meg Ryan Was Initially Cast As Shelby

YouTube / Movieclips

She was under contract to perform the role, but the producers allowed her to back out in order to star in another iconic film that same year:When Harry Met Sally…with Billy Crystal.

3. The Director Questioned Dolly Parton’s Acting Talent

YouTube / Movieclips

After Dolly messed up one take, Herbert Ross actually asked her if she even knew how to act. Of course, she had the perfect comeback: “No, but it’s your job to make me look like I can!”

We all know that’s simply not the case Dolly is a great actress!Mostof her co-stars also later revealedhow difficultthe gruff directorwas to work with on the film.

4. Dolly And Daryl Hannah Took Lessons From Stylists

YouTube / Movieclips

In order to make sure their performances didn’t look out of place in the beauty salon, the actresses spent time with actual stylists before filming to study theirmethods.

5. The Director Thought Daryl Was Too Pretty

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He wasn’t convinced that the bombshell could effectively play Annelle, whose looks were supposed to bemore subdued and modest.

To convince him otherwise, Daryl showed up on set dressed as the character and was so unrecognizable that security almost wouldn’t let her in.

6. There Are No Men In The Original Script

YouTube / Movieclips

All of the women appear in the original stage adaptation and they discuss the men in their lives at length, but none ever appear on stage with them.

7. Producers Thought Sally Field Was Too Young

YouTube / Movieclips

Producers thought that no one would believe the actress was the mother of the 22-year-old Shelby. Sally kindly pointed out to them that her eldest son was just shy of 22 himself at the time.

8. The Cast Stayed In Local Lake Homes

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When they arrived for filming in Natchitoches, Louisiana, most of the principal castrented property available on the water. This included Shirley MacLaine, who reportedly asked her realtor, “Would my nude sunbathing cause any problems?”

Luckily, the realtoralso had a sense of humor. He simply replied: “Only a traffic jam on the lake.”

9. Princess Diana Attended The U.K. Premiere

Wikimedia Commons / Rick

While still married to Prince Charles, the royal couple made an appearance at the emotional film’s red-carpet premiere when it made its way across the pond in1990.

10. The Onscreen Hospital Staff Were Not Actors

YouTube / Movieclips

The filmhiredthe actual doctors and nurses who helped care for Robert’s sister, Susan,togive the scenes an authentic emotional weight.

11. The Writer’s Parents Found Peace From The Film

YouTube / Movieclips

The writer was concerned about his mother being on set for one of the more heartbreaking scenes involvingShelby,particularly as her own daughter had passed.

When he asked how she could put herself through the emotional moment and still have dry eyes, she explained, “I wanted to see Julia get up and walk away.”

12. Dolly Wrote A Song For The Movie

YouTube / Movieclips

Unfortunately, it didn’t make the final cut. However, Robert remembered her coming into his family’s home nearby while filming and announcing that she had written a song for Susan titled “Eagle When She Flies.”

The song can be heard on Dolly’s 1991 album of the same name.

13. The Success Of The Film Fulfilled Susan’s Wishes

YouTube / Movieclips

During their last conversation together before her passing, Susan expressed to her brother how she wished she could help with his writing career but had no idea how.

Following her death, he channeled his grief into the script, writing the whole thing in only 10 days. With both the hit play and feature film under his belt, Robert was undeniably able to fulfill one of his sister’s last wishes.

Did we miss any impressive facts about this beautiful film? Let us know below, and be sure to SHARE with your friends!