Dolly Parton Demonstrates How She Used Her Nails as an Instrument on the Set of “9 to 5” in Resurfaced 1981 Interview

Dolly Parton used her acrylic nails to "get the rhythm" for the titular song on the set of 1980's 9 to 5

The country icon demonstrated the unique talent in a resurfaced interview clip from 1981

9 to 5 , which also starred Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, marked Parton's acting debut

Dolly Parton was a woman of many talents.

The country legend, who died on Aug. 25 at age 80 , utilized her creativity on the set of her acting debut, the 1980 movie 9 to 5 .

In an extended 1981 interview on Sacramento's KCRA 3 , Parton demonstrated how she would rub her acrylic nails together to "get the rhythm" for the film's titular theme song.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you are now viewing the newest instrument on the market," she joked as she "played" her long red nails.

Parton explained that when she was writing the song on the movie's set, she used her nails "just to get the rhythm when I wasn't close to my guitar."

"It worked out good," she added. "So now, I've become famous for these nails."

Parton elaborated on her acrylic nail playing in an episode of Apple Fitness+ Time to Walk experience in 2021, sharing that her nails are actually credited on the 9 to 5 soundtrack.

"I thought this sounded like a typewriter, and since that movie was about women in the workplace, I'd stand on the set, I'd watch things happening, I'd come up with little lines every day," she said of writing the song. "I'd go back to my hotel room at night and get my guitar and put it down on tape until after a couple months I had a song."

She added that her nails are featured on the official recording of the song. "And I played my nails—even on the record it says 'nails by Dolly'!" she said. "Anyhow, everybody makes me do this all the time, play this little sound [of her nails like a washboard]. Of course you have to have acrylic nails, your own nails won't do that. You gotta have falsies!"

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The star also shared that she had been offered several movie roles prior to 9 to 5 but turned them all down.

Jane Fonda approached Parton about the project knowing the country star would help drive a Southern audience to a movie with a mission of drawing attention to equal pay for women. With Lily Tomlin already signed on and Fonda, the film had "two big stars, so if it does good, I can take my part of the credit, and if it don't do good, I can just blame it on them," Parton recalled with a laugh. "Nobody knew me in the movies anyway!"