Debra Winger has been acknowledged as one of the screen's finest actresses since her stunning breakthrough in Urban Cowboy. Her roles in Shadowlands, An Officer and a Gentleman and Terms of Endearment all garnered Winger Academy Award nominations as well as praise from critics and others.
She was born in Cleveland, Ohio, Winger later moved west with her family. After college, Winger began taking acting lessons, which led to local workshop productions. Not long after, Debra made her feature film debut in "Thank God It's Friday", followed shortly by French Postcards. But it was her co-starring role with John Travolta in "Urban Cowboy" that brought her to the world's attention.
Debra went on to co-star with Nick Nolte in Cannery Row, and worked again with her long time friend and mentor James Bridges in Mike's Murder before winning an Oscar nomination for her performance opposite Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman. Her second Oscar nomination came for her role in Terms of Endearment.
Her films of the 1990s include Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Sheltering Sky", "Leap of Faith" with Steve Martin, "Forget Paris" with Billy Crystal and "Wilder Napalm" with Arliss Howard and Dennis Quaid. Debra received a Golden Globe nomination for her role in A Dangerous Woman and her third Oscar nomination for her performance in "Shadowlands" with Anthony Hopkins.
After a six-year hiatus spent appearing on stage at the A.R.T., touring with the London Symphony and teaching at Harvard University, actress most recently produced and co-starred in Big Bad Love, which was written and directed by Arliss Howard. Winger will soon be seen in Eulogy, directed by Michael Clancy, starring opposite Kelly Preston and Ray Romano.
