Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
It's very nice to have you here.
Our organization is the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities, and we are an advocacy group. That involves changing people's attitudes; we do that too.
One of the ways we're gonna change attitudes this year is we're putting on a film festival, a disability film festival.
That's exciting. [both laugh]
Well I was excited at the opportunity
to participate because
I'm in a wheelchair,
but also
because
being this fat,
this obese
is also a disability.
And I want people
to be more aware of some of the difficulties
you know, that we have fitting into society.
It's not that we can't fit into society, it's just that
so often, society
isn't very welcoming.
I'm just a coffee nut.
Are you from Texas?
Ah, no, no, not... no. 1997, I think,
Texas... [all talking]
... turning down a glass of tea for a cup of coffee when it's 100 degrees outside, I knew. [all laugh]
- ... then all of this stuff just fell out of the blue. - Yeah, how did that happen? I mean you were not an actress, is that right?
No, I just... my family might disagree with that. [all laugh]
They might
They might tell you that I've always been a diva.
Or a drama queen, I dunno.
Well another interesting thing is that
for a long time,
I didn't even realize that
I was portraying a person with a disability! [both laugh]
I thought that Arnie was the only one with a disability.
You know, as I've mulled over it in years passed, I've realized,
well, you know, she really was...
you know, she had her only disabilities, too, to deal with and everything.
How did he prepare to be so...
-He went... - ... utterly convincing?
I believe there's one in Austin, isn't there?
- An Austin State School? - Yes.
And Leo went and hung out.
And he observed.
And he took it in.
And he stayed in character a lot of the time
uh... you know in between takes.
I have to laugh about it now, because,
you know, what woman in her right mind wouldn't want
Leo hangin all over them?
You know, lovin on 'em, kissin on 'em, huggin on 'em? [laughs]
And all that, but all I could see at that point
was this really dirty little boy
[both laughing]
that I did not want to touch!
But
in an effort to stay in character...
you know, I would sit there, and I would rock him.
You know, and I would sing "You Are My Sunshine" to him.
- He was amazing. - He was.
The producer told me that when they
did a screening
of the show before a focus group,
that people were asking where did you find
a retarded person, they used the term "retarded,"
where did you find a retarded person that could act?
And they really thought that he was mentally challenged.
And um... he was phenomenal.
He was just phenomenal.
She did reach that point when she walked down to the courthouse,
you know, and she saw all those people.
Which, by the way,
in real life,
shooting that scene
was like a nightmare come true for me.
Because at that point
in my life
I was
I was just coming out of
some years of isolation, some years of depression.
Um...
And
didn't like to go out
y'know, always fearful of what was gonna be said
you know
what would happen, and I knew someone was always gonna say something.
And, um,
so then they tell me that I'm gonna be
walking out into this
courtyard
and all these people are gonna be staring at me, and kids are gonna be giggling
and a man is gonna take a picture, and I was just thinking o lord.
And not only that,
there were townspeople
there to watch the shooting.
So,
It really was...
it was a nightmare for me.
And the first time we did it, I... after I
made the walk down the thing,
I just sat down and broke down and cried, you know.
And not so much
because
it was happening that way,
but because I'd done it and survived.
- Alright. - You know! [laughs]
When I arrived in Austin
and met Johnny for the first time,
he was already in character.
And he already had his hair done
he already was in the um
wardrobe.
And
had a chipped tooth.
And was
more or less in character.
And, um,
I have to tell you that
I had never met anyone with a more bizarre sense of humor,
nor have I ever met anyone
any kinder
and gentler
than... on a first, you know,
on a first meeting
than he was.
When we were on set, um
anytime that we
wrapped for the day, and he was still there,
even though
my son Mark was there with me, too,
he would help me with my coat and everything, because it was cold. It was in the
fall, November and December.
January.
And um,
He would always come over,
make sure, you know,
have you got your gloves on? Do you have everything?
You know, that you need? Are you ok?
And kissed me on the cheek and tell me bye mamma, I'll see you tomorrow.
Gilbert Grape was
a rather unique experience for all of us.
Because
the whole crew,
not just the cast,
but the whole crew was like a family.
- Yeah, it comes though... - Everybody...
- ... relationships... interrelations... - Yeah. Everybody
really cared about everybody else.
And I was treated with so much
respect,
and dignity,
and love and concern.
[all talking]
We went back to New York City for the second trip,
and um,
on that trip, I met Richard Simmons...
That's all I'm gonna say about that.
Considering the limitations that I have,
I am so blessed.
Because I've been able to
use my limitations to reach other people.
You may not die physically, but you will die spiritually
and emotionally and mentally
if you
try to own every negative stereotype
that people throw at you.
But, if you'll just take that step away,
and just really come to terms with what you can do,
instead of what you can't do,
Life can be so great. And so much better.
Thank you, Darlene, so imagine that there's
90 people in this room cheering, and saying thank you for this wonderful interview, Darlene!
Aw!
Aw, that's so sweet. [laughing, applause]