Mary Debra Winger was born on May 16, 1955, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Ruth (Felder) and Robert Jack Winger. She is from a Jewish family, originally from Austria-Hungary and the Russian Empire. Her maternal grandparents called her Mary, while her parents called her Debra, named after her father's favorite actress, Debra Paget.
Growing up, Debra was a precocious teenager who graduated high school at the age of 15. She enrolled in college, majoring in criminology, but her passion for acting led her to abandon college and pursue a career in acting. She started with small roles in commercials and TV shows, including "Task Force: Part I" and "Wonder Woman," where she played the role of Wonder Girl.
Debra's breakthrough role came in 1980 when she played the role of Sissy in the film "Urban Cowboy," opposite John Travolta. Her performance earned her critical acclaim and established her as a rising star in Hollywood. She went on to star in several successful films, including "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" and "An Officer and a Gentleman," for which she received her first Academy Award nomination.
Throughout the 1980s, Debra continued to receive critical acclaim for her performances in films like "Terms of Endearment" and "Mike's Murder." However, her career began to slow down in the 1990s, and she faced a series of box office flops. She took a break from acting to focus on her personal life and raise her two sons.
Debra returned to acting in the early 2000s with a series of critically acclaimed performances in films like "Big Bad Love" and "Rachel Getting Married." She also wrote a memoir, "Undiscovered," which was well-received by critics. In the 2010s, Debra began to focus on television, appearing in shows like "Law and Order" and "The Ranch." She has continued to act in film and television, earning an Emmy nomination for her performance in "Dawn Anna."
Throughout her career, Debra has been known for her versatility and range as an actress. She has played a wide range of roles, from romantic leads to dramatic characters, and has worked with some of the most acclaimed directors in the industry. Despite facing challenges and setbacks, Debra has remained a respected and beloved figure in the film industry, and her contributions to American cinema continue to be celebrated.
