Darlene Cates, star of the 1993 film What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, has died at the age of 69.
She passed away late Sunday night in her sleep according to family.
Her performance as the protective mother of a melancholy teen, played by Johnny Depp, and a mentally disabled boy, played by Leonardo DiCaprio is still considered an absolute triumph from a woman without any prior acting experience. Cates became an overnight star for her brilliant portrayal of the reclusive and morbidly obese Mama Grape. The film went on to help launch the careers of some of the biggest names in Hollywood including Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliet Lewis, and John C. Reilly.
She was discovered by Peter Hedges after he saw her on an episode of Sally Jessy Raphael titled “Too Heavy to Leave Their House.” After
See a clip from Sally Jessy Raphael and some of her best work as Mama Grape in the two videos below: