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 went from 410 lb to 310 lb but eventually gained the weight back and more with a total weight of 550 lb. While appearing on an episode of Sally Jessy Raphael (1983) entitled: "Too Heavy to Leave Their House", she was discovered by Author and screenwriter Peter Hedges. He proposed that she play the morbidly obese mother in the 1993 film What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). She accepted. Since, Darlene has made appearances on episodes of Picket Fences (1992), and Touched by an Angel (1994), and played the supporting role of Athena the Fat Lady in the made-for-television film Wolf Girl (2001). Show less «