'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' Scene-Stealer Lady Chablis Dies at 59

"Two tears in a bucket, motherfuckit." - Lady Chablis

Transgender performer, author and television personality Lady Chablis, best known for playing herself in the film version of the classic crime novel "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" has passed. She was 59.

Lady Chablis first achieved national notoriety in John Berendt's 1994 classic real life crime drama "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." In 1996, she tried her hand at writing and penned her autobiography "Hiding My Candy." In 1997, Lady Chablis was tapped by director Clint Eastwood to play herself in the film version of Berendt's book.

Lady Chablis would go on to make numerous television appearances on talk shows like Oprah. In 2013, she took her scene-stealing skills to reality TV in an episode of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta."

"Lady Chablis is the original drag queen in Savannah, Georgia. She is history honey," NeNe Leakes said during the episode.

"Just as The Book shined the spotlight on Savannah, so too did Chablis shine the spotlight on the gay scene, and especially on Club One," read a statement released by Savannah gay bar Club One. "She was Club One's very first entertainer, officiating our grand opening in 1988, and paving the way for female impersonation in Savannah. No one, however, could outshine the Grand Empress herself."

According to the Club One statement, Lady Chablis had "long been a giver to the community. Throughout the 2000s, she worked closely on various campaigns for the American Diabetes Association, donating thousands of dollars raised by her performances to the cause."

Chablis is survived by her sister Cynthia.