The lovable, impressionable and immeasurably talented Darlene Cates was born December 13, 1947 in Borger, Texas, to Dorothy Ann (née Pfrimmer) and Truman Madison Guthrie. She grew up in Dumas. Darlene's parents divorced when she was 12 years, which lead to overeating, which manifested itself into obesity. She underwent gastroplasty in 1981. She ...
I had to make a choice, I could stay where I was and be miserable, or I could take a risk and do something exciting. I talked with the author, Peter Hedges. There were some things in the book that I didn't like. We talked about those extensively and I trusted him because the character was based on somebody that meant something to him in his life. So I knew that it wouldn't be anything horrible. As we went along I was so proud of the way that the character was portrayed and so proud of the way that the children came around to see that this woman had these good qualities, and how much she really did care about her family. DC - referring to her acclaimed work in the film "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?"
2
I wish everyone that's kind of hiding away at home still could understand or could have the same experience that I did. Once I did the Sally show, all of a sudden I realized that if I went out and people stared at me, I wouldn't know if they were staring at me because I was fat or because they recognized me from being on TV. That empowered me.
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Fact
1
In 1992 she received her high school diploma via correspondence courses and emerged from her house after a five-year period of reclusion.
2
In her early years she took solace in food. Her overeating, compounded by a thyroid condition and slow metabolism, led to substantial weight gains, and in 1986, pelvic infections kept her bedridden for two years, during which she gained 150 pounds.
3
Grew up in the panhandle town of Dumas, Texas, the daughter of a homemaker and a gas-station attendant who divorced when she was 12. Two years later she met her future husband and lied to him about her age. After a year's courtship they married; he was 25, she 15.
4
Has since done children's school seminars on weight and self-esteem.
5
Had her stomach stapled (gastroplasty) in 1981 when she weighed 410 pounds and lost 100 pounds, but eventually gained back more up to 550 pounds. She has had two very close friends die of complications from weight-loss surgery.
6
Author and screenwriter Peter Hedges saw a tape of Darlene on the segment of Sally Jessy Raphael (1985) entitled, "Too Heavy to Leave Their House." On the show she spoke of her self-imposed imprisonment. Hedges, writer of What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) offered her the role of the morbidly obese mother in the film, which she accepted.
7
The wife of a postal worker, she has three children - Sheri, Mark and Chris. She had her first child at age 18 and is a grandmother of four living on the outskirts of Dallas, Texas.
8
After years of loneliness, reclusive behavior and chronic depression, she began to return to the world despite her obesity with help of an anti-depressant medication and her story became public news.
9
Has one daughter, Sheri Ann (b. January 1966), and two sons: Mark (b. October 1967) and Chris (b. 1971)
10
Lost 244 pounds in 2012 bringing her weight from 575 pounds to 331 pounds.
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
Billboard
2017
filming
Penny
Mother
2014/III
Short
Mother
Wolf Girl
2001
TV Movie
Athena the Fat Lady
Touched by an Angel
1996
TV Series
Claudia Bell
Picket Fences
1994
TV Series
Sophie Wallace
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
1993
Bonnie Grape
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Word
1994
TV Series
Herself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
No Small Parts
2015
TV Series documentary
Herself
Known for movies
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) as Bonnie Grape
$200,000
