From Secret to Script: A Hollywood Actress Once Hid Type 1 Diabetes, But Now She's Bringing It to the Big Screen & It Also Features Brooke Shields, Whose Daughter Has T1D
For years, Kelsey Bascom slipped into bathrooms to check her blood sugar and take insulin. She worried that people would see her differently if they knew she had type 1 diabetes. Now, she’s putting that part of her life on a movie screen.
Bascom wrote, co-directed and stars in Quarter, a comedy-drama inspired by her own experiences. She plays Kelly, a young woman approaching her 25th birthday while navigating the complications of growing up and managing diabetes. Produced by her co-director, Arnon Manor, the film also features Ali Wentworth, Brooke Shields and Raven-Symoné.
After her diagnosis in high school, keeping diabetes private became a habit that followed Bascom into film school. She even resisted getting an insulin pump because wearing one would make the condition visible to other people.
A turning point came when she shared a photo on Instagram showing her insulin pump. The response was overwhelming. Messages from people who understood her experience helped her recognize how many others were feeling isolated, too. Opening up could help someone else feel more comfortable doing the same.
That realization helped shape the film. Like Bascom, Kelly is shy and learning to speak up for herself. With encouragement from Manor, Bascom brought her experiences into the script, including the insecurity that came with feeling she had something to hide.
She told Forbes she wanted viewers to “feel less alone and also laugh at the same time.”
The story also offers a glimpse of the mental work happening behind the scenes of everyday life. Bascom described constantly planning ahead and considering how activities and emotions might affect her blood sugar. Even her family gained a better understanding of that ongoing responsibility after seeing the film.
Humor gives her a way to address uncomfortable moments. Bascom told diaTribe she included insensitive comments she had heard over the years, hoping audiences would reconsider their assumptions and learn to ask more thoughtful questions. Those everyday interactions helped give the screenplay its personal perspective.
The project also resonated with Brooke Shields, whose daughter Rowan Henchy has type 1 diabetes. Shields discussed participating with Rowan before joining the film, and their involvement helped them share their family’s experience publicly. Shields also became an executive producer.
That sense of connection extended to the set. Bascom told diaTribe that more than 30 cast and crew members either lived with type 1 diabetes or had a loved one with diabetes. Between takes, people shared stories and checked their blood sugar together.
Quarter is scheduled to begin its theatrical release at Cinema Village in New York on November 13, 2026, the day before World Diabetes Day. We're waiting to hear which other theaters will be featuring it.
For the diabetes community, there’s something meaningful about a storyteller making room for experiences that often stay private. Bascom’s willingness to share hers offers a reminder that there can be connection, creativity and plenty of laughter in life with diabetes.
Sources:
Forbes — Interview by Xian Horn, September 3, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/sites/xianhorn/2024/09/03/new-film-empowers-brooke-shields-and-daughter-rowan-to-reveal-type-1-diabetes-journey/
diaTribe — Interview with Kelsey Bascom about Quarter.https://diatribe.org/lifestyle/new-movie-quarter-brings-type-1-diabetes-big-screen
Falco Ink — Theatrical release announcement, October 26, 2026, distributed by EIN Presswire. https://www.einpresswire.com/article/952366519/quarter-starring-kelsey-bascom-ali-wentworth-brooke-shields-raven-symon-releases-theatrically-in-ny-november-13th
Cinema Village — Film listing and opening date.https://www.cinemavillage.com/Now-Playing/quarter.html
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