In a classic love story, Naval Officer Zack Mayo carried factory worker Paula in his arms, whisking her away from her job, leaving fans everywhere dreaming of being the stunning Debra Winger.
This iconic moment from the romantic drama An Officer and a Gentleman, where Richard Gere played Officer Zack Mayo in his crisp navy uniform, became the gold standard for love stories, fueling fans’ fantasies.
Debra Winger, acting alongside some of Hollywood’s most handsome men, was the envy of many.
Today, at 67, Winger remains as captivating as ever. Recently, she has shared photos on Instagram, transitioning from her signature brown hair to a natural, wavy gray.
Winger’s first big role came in the 1976 film Slumber Party ‘57, leading to a part on the hit TV series Wonder Woman (1979), where she played Drusilla, the younger sister to Lynda Carter’s Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. Despite being asked to appear more often, Winger turned it down, fearing she’d be typecast.
Her decision paid off, as the early ‘80s brought her significant success.
At the height of her career, Winger earned multiple Academy and Golden Globe nominations for three iconic films. In 1980, she starred in Urban Cowboy with John Travolta, who was already a heartthrob thanks to Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1978).
She followed this with her role as Paula in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) and then in Terms of Endearment (1983), where she played Emma, a young woman dying of cancer, with Shirley MacLaine as her overbearing mother, Aurora.
Despite her success, Winger took a break from Hollywood. More than forty years after her rise to fame, the reasons behind her hiatus are still debated. Many rumors suggest it was due to feuds with her co-stars.
While fans adored Richard Gere, Winger reportedly did not enjoy working with him. Louis Gossett Jr., who played Sgt. Emil Foley, wrote in his book An Actor and a Gentleman, “The onscreen chemistry between them was terrific, but off-camera, they couldn’t have been farther apart.” He also noted that Winger once described Gere as “a brick wall” and referred to the film’s director, Taylor Hackford, as “animal.”
Winger also had a tense relationship with Shirley MacLaine on the set of Terms of Endearment. Their first meeting was memorable, with MacLaine dressed in fur coats and Winger in combat boots and a miniskirt. MacLaine recalled, “I thought, ‘Oh my goodness.'”
Their rivalry was well-documented, culminating in both actresses being nominated for an Oscar, which MacLaine won, declaring in her acceptance speech, “I deserve this!”
Winger insists her break from acting was for personal reasons. “The parts that were coming, I wasn’t interested in,” she told People. “I needed to be challenged. My life challenged me more than the parts, so I dove into it fully.”
After starring in the 1995 romcom Forget Paris with Billy Crystal, Winger took a six-year hiatus. During this time, she moved to New York City, married actor Arliss Howard in 1996, and had a son, Gideon Babe, in 1997. She also has a stepson, Sam, and another son, Noah Hutton, from her first marriage to Timothy Hutton.
Winger returned to the screen in 2001 with Big Bad Love, directed and produced by her husband. She also appeared in Rosanna Arquette’s documentary Searching for Debra Winger (2002), which explored why Winger temporarily left Hollywood.
She continued to act in films like Rachel Getting Married (2008), The Lovers (2017), and Kajillionaire (2020). In 2021, she starred in With/In, Volume Two, an anthological drama film segment written and directed by her husband.
Reflecting on her career, Winger said, “I don’t know what Hollywood is. I’m living under the freaking sign now, and I just stare at it and laugh. Los Angeles is a place, but the idea of Hollywood doesn’t really exist for me.”
We can’t imagine Hollywood without Debra Winger and hope she soon takes home an Academy Award! What are your favorite Winger movies?
