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Darlene Cates
Darlene Cates
	Cates in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Born	Rita Darlene Guthrie; December 13, 1947; Borger, Texas, U.S.
Died	March 26, 2017 (aged 69); Forney, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1993–2017
Spouse	Robert Cates (m. 1963)
Children	3

Rita Darlene Cates (née Guthrie; December 13, 1947^[1] – March 26, 2017) was an American actress. She became known for her role in the 1993 film What's Eating Gilbert Grape, in which she played the title character's housebound mother.

Career

Author and screenwriter Peter Hedges saw a tape of Cates on a 1992 episode of Sally entitled "Too Heavy to Leave Their House". On the show, she discussed her battle with obesity and how it had affected her life. At the time of filming, she was 520 pounds.^[2] Hedges offered her the role of a morbidly obese mother in the 1993 film What's Eating Gilbert Grape, which she accepted.^[3] The role was expanded by director Lasse Hallstrom after learning she could act. Her performance, her first attempt at acting in any form, received critical acclaim and was lauded by her costars Leonardo DiCaprio^[4] and Johnny Depp.^[5]

Television roles followed on the shows Picket Fences in 1994 and Touched by an Angel in 1996.^[6] She had a small role in the 2001 made-for-tv film Wolf Girl.^[7]

Personal life

Cates was born in Borger, Texas on December 13, 1947 to a gas station attendant and a homemaker, who divorced when she was 12. She grew up in Dumas, Texas.^[8]

Cates met Robert Cates, a U.S. Marine, when she was 14 and the two married on January 11, 1963 - she was 15 and he was 25.^[6] Cates claimed that she lied about her age to Robert, only revealing she was not 18 on the night before their wedding.^[9] They had one daughter, Sheri Ann, and two sons, Mark and Chris. She had four grandchildren and lived in Forney, Texas. In 1992, she received her high school diploma via correspondence courses.^[8]^[10]

Struggles with obesity

While Robert was deployed on two 13 month tours in Vietnam, Cates began eating as a comfort. In combination with a thyroid condition and slow metabolism, the overeating led to substantial weight gains. In 1986, pelvic infections caused by her excess weight kept her bedridden for two years, during which she gained an additional 149 pounds (68 kg), weighing almost 600 pounds in total.^[11] Cates suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts, resulting from her weight, and lived in reclusion.

After telling her doctor, she was prescribed Prozac, which she praised for "turning [her] life around." After finishing her 1992 diploma, Cates ended her five year period of reclusion, accepting an invitation to appear on the Sally show - an offer that came through her support group.^[8]

In 2012, Cates had lost 240 pounds (110 kg) after a series of health issues in 2010 kept her hospitalized for nearly a year, and she expressed a desire to resume her acting career.^[9]

Death

Cates died in her sleep at age 69 on March 26, 2017. Her daughter, Sheri Cates Morgan, announced her death in a Facebook post.^[12]^[13]

Leonardo DiCaprio, who portrayed her son in 1993's What's Eating Gilbert Grape, posted a tribute to Facebook, stating Cates was "the best acting mom [he] ever had the privilege of working alongside. Her endearing personality and incredible talent will live on in the memories of those who knew her, and those who loved her work."^[14]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993	What's Eating Gilbert Grape	Bonnie Grape
2014	Mother	Mother	Short
2019	Billboard	Penny	(final film role), posthumous release

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1992	Sally	Self	"Too Heavy to Leave Their House"
1994	Picket Fences	Sophie Wallace	"Squatter's Rights"
1996	Touched by an Angel	Claudia Bell	"Statute of Limitations"
2001	Wolf Girl	Athena the Fat Lady	TV film