I was in college in 1989 when the movie Steel Magnolias came out. For those who don't know the story, Julia Roberts plays a character named Shelby who has Type I diabetes.
Actor and writer Robert Harling wrote the play based on the true story of his sister, Susan Harling Robinson, who died from complications with diabetes.
In the popular film "Steel Magnolias," part of the story's conclusion involves a character named Shelby dying from Type 1 diabetes shortly after giving birth. Inspired by real life, the mother whose daughter passed said she demanded to remain on set for the life-support scene.
The plot revolves around one of them, Shelby Eatenton, a young woman with diabetes who becomes pregnant after her wedding. Her disease worsens as a consequence of her pregnancy and she dies. Awards: Nominated for an Academy Award in 1989 for Best Supporting Actress (Julia Roberts).
Julia Roberts Has a Diabetic Attack in a Hair Salon | Steel Magnolias (1989) | Now Playing
Did Dolly Parton really do Julia Roberts hair in Steel Magnolias?
Dolly Parton and Daryl Hannah studied hair stylists so their hair styling scenes would look authentic -- a particular necessity in the first beauty shop scene, during the course of which Parton styles Julia Roberts' hair for her wedding.
And it was for Roberts' character, Shelby, that Ryan was originally cast. When Ryan was also offered the title role of Sally in When Harry Met Sally, she asked to be let out of her Steel Magnolias contract in order to play her.
Steel Magnolias is a stage play by American writer Robert Harling, based on his experience with his sister's death. The play is a comedy-drama about the bond among a group of Southern women in northwest Louisiana. The title suggests the "female characters are as delicate as magnolias but as tough as steel".
Being pre-diabetic means that she had blood sugar levels considered higher than normal, but they weren't yet high enough to receive a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. If prediabetes is left untreated, it can turn into diabetes within a matter of years.
Many are suprised to know she also has type 1 diabetes. Berry's acting career has allowed her to don many different roles including 'Catwoman' and Bond girl Giacinta 'Jinx' Johnson.
Life expectancy estimates for individuals with type 1 diabetes in these reports ranged from approximately 65 years of age to 72 years of age. The CDC currently estimates the average US life expectancy is 76.1 years, the lowest figure since 1996.
Know your risks. Women who have type 1 diabetes can have a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby, but it's important to monitor diabetes complications that could worsen throughout pregnancy, such as high blood pressure, vision loss, and kidney disease.
If a woman with diabetes keeps her blood sugar well controlled before and during pregnancy, she can increase her chances of having a healthy baby. Controlling blood sugar also reduces the chance that a woman will develop common problems of diabetes, or that the problems will get worse during pregnancy.
Molly Ringwald Turned Down Julia Roberts' 'Pretty Woman' Role: 'I Didn't Really Like the Story' Molly Ringwald only had eyes for one movie with the word "pretty" in its title — and it wasn't Pretty Woman!
Who turned down the role of Edward in Pretty Woman?
Casting. The casting of the film was a rather lengthy process. Marshall had initially considered Christopher Reeve, Daniel Day-Lewis, Kevin Kline, and Denzel Washington for the role of Edward, and Albert Brooks, Sylvester Stallone, Al Pacino and Burt Reynolds turned it down.
What did they call Shirley MacLaine in Steel Magnolias?
Steel Magnolias, based on the 1987 play of the same name, explored the relationships and sisterhood of a group of women in a small Southern community. MacLaine, 85, played Louisa “Ouiser” Boudreaux, the grouchy one of the group with a hardened heart of gold.
The accents in the Steel Magnolias film, however, don't necessarily directly reflect Harling's hometown. Perhaps the biggest shift from the sounds of Natchitoches is the accent Julia Roberts uses for Shelby. Roberts, originally from Georgia, takes on the stereotypical American Southern dropped-R accent.
After an early breakthrough with appearances in Mystic Pizza (1988) and Steel Magnolias (1989), Roberts established herself as a leading actress when she headlined the top-grossing romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990).
Why couldn t Julia Roberts have a baby in Steel Magnolias?
Set in Louisiana, Steel Magnolias begins with the wedding of Roberts's character, Shelby. The ceremony almost doesn't happen, because her physician has just told her she shouldn't conceive to avoid straining her damaged kidneys, but her fiancé insists he loves her all the same.
Did Julia Roberts cut her hair to play Tinkerbell?
Roberts next branched out into more intense fare in 1991 with “Sleeping With The Enemy,” where she played a woman on the run from her wealthy but extremely abusive husband. That same year, Roberts got her hair changed to a pixie cut to play Tinker Bell in “Hook,” Steven Spielberg's maudlin take on Peter Pan.
