'Gilbert Grape' Actress' 250 Pound Weight Loss Leads to New Life, Career (VIDEO)
"What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" actress Darlene Cates has reportedly lost nearly 250 pounds and is eager to get back in the entertainment industry. It's a new life for the woman who was once housebound in Texas, and just the beginning of a radical transformation for Cates, who once weighed 575 pounds.
Cates has had a tumultuous health history, having to be hospitalized three times. She still cannot walk, but she is starting to recover and has an important goal: to be able to transfer herself from bed to a wheelchair in time for her grandson's confirmation in October. It would be one of the few times that she has left the house after confining herself to the safety of her home.
"I didn't know if … people were staring at me because I'm fat or because they recognize me," she told Sally J. Raphael. "People can be cruel, but that doesn't mean you have to take it home, wrap yourself up in it."
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Soon after appearing on Raphael's talk show, Cates was cast in the famous role of Bonnie Grape in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" It was a character she could relate to and empathize with, and the role brought to light a bit of her personal experience. The cast, however, was immediately smitten with Cates and did all they could to encourage her in the role.
"I'll always remember you as the best acting momma I've ever had. You triumphed in your role," her film son Leonardo DiCaprio wrote in a note to Cates.
"I realized how God had used me to touch other people and give them courage by what I did," Cates told The Dallas Morning News. "That gave them courage to put themselves out there more."
Now that Cates has started physical therapy, it won't be long until she is out and about, hoping to reclaim her position in Hollywood. "I have looked at these things about as long as I can look at them, and I'm ready to blow this joint," she said.
Watch Cates speak with Raphael here:
