Admirers all around the world wished they were the stunning Debra Winger when Naval Officer Zack Mayo snatched factory worker Paula into his arms and whisked her from her place of employment in a classic romantic tale.
The iconic moment from the romance drama An Officer and a Gentleman, in which Richard Gere portrayed the dashing hero in navy whites, Officer Zack Mayo, became the standard for romantic tales for daydreamers.
Acting beside some of the sexiest men in Hollywood made Debra Winger the envy of many.
Winger, who is 67 years old, is still stunning today. Winger has shared pictures of herself on Instagram throughout the last few years; initially, she had brown hair, but now it is a naturally wavy gray.
Winger played Drusilla, the younger sister of Lynda Carter’s Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, in the popular TV series Wonder Woman (1979). Her first major role came in the 1976 film Slumber Party ’57. Winger was requested to make more appearances, but she declined out of fear that the role would mold her into a certain mold.
The emerging star would have a lucrative early 1980s and had no regrets about that choice.
She was nominated for multiple Academy Awards and Golden Globes during the peak of her early career for her roles in three classic 1980s films.
She costarred with John Travolta in Urban Cowboy in 1980; at the time, he was making fans go crazy with his slick dance moves in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1988); she also played Emma in Terms of Endearment (1983), where she played a dying young woman with an overbearing mother named Aurora, played by Shirley MacLaine, and as Paula in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982).
Despite her enormous success, Winger took a brief break from acting to focus on other projects. Over forty years after her ascent to fame, rumors about her departure persist.
The majority of these rumors center on Winger’s conflicts with her co-stars.
Despite the fact that Winger reportedly had enough of the attractive Gere on the set, fans couldn’t get enough of him.
As stated in a passage from co-star Louis Gossett Jr.’s book “An Actor and a Gentleman,” which ABC News published, “The onscreen chemistry between the two of them was terrific, but it was a different story once the camera was turned off.” They were too close to one another to have remained apart.
Additionally, according to Gossett, Winger didn’t think highly of Gere’s acting and once called him “a brick wall.” She also called Taylor Hackford, the film’s director, who she did not like, “animal.”
Not just the characters in the movie bothered her.
MacLaine was a gorgeous, quirky, and seasoned veteran who contrasted with Winger, who was a free spirit both in real life and in her part as Emma.
Their romance began with that first meeting.
In a People interview, MacLaine stated, “I was wearing all my leftover movie-star fur coats to see how my character would feel.” “Debra was there, wearing a miniskirt and combat boots.I exclaimed, “Oh my goodness.”
According to People, “In fact, the set turned into the origin of Hollywood’s most cherished rumors.” Winger desired first place. It was said that one slugged the other.
Subsequently, the two women faced off at the Oscars after receiving nominations for best actress.
“I deserve this,” MacLaine declared in her acceptance speech as she took the award home.
Despite the rumors, Winger maintains that she “pushed the pause button” on Hollywood for private, not for work-related, reasons.
“I didn’t care for the parts that were about to happen. That was something I had already done or experienced. I required a challenge. I totally embraced the challenge that my life presented to me, Winger said to People.
MacLaine was a gorgeous, quirky, and seasoned veteran who contrasted with Winger, who was a free spirit both in real life and in her part as Emma.
Their romance began with that first meeting.
In a People interview, MacLaine stated, “I was wearing all my leftover movie-star fur coats to see how my character would feel.” “Debra was there, wearing a miniskirt and combat boots.I exclaimed, “Oh my goodness.”
According to People, “In fact, the set turned into the origin of Hollywood’s most cherished rumors.” Winger desired first place. It was said that one slugged the other.
Subsequently, the two women faced off at the Oscars after receiving nominations for best actress.
“I deserve this,” MacLaine declared in her acceptance speech as she took the award home.
Despite the rumors, Winger maintains that she “pushed the pause button” on Hollywood for private, not for work-related, reasons.
“I didn’t care for the parts that were about to happen. That was something I had already done or experienced. I required a challenge. I totally embraced the challenge that my life presented to me, Winger said to People.
We can’t imagine a Hollywood without Debra Winger and we hope she soon gets to take home an Academy Award! What are your favorite Winger movies?
Acting alongside Hollywood’s hottest men, Debra Winger was the envy of many.
Today, Winger, 67, is as beautiful as ever. In the past few years, Winger has posted photos herself on Instagram, first with brown hair and now to a natural wavy gray.
Winger’s first starring role was in the 1976 film Slumber Party ‘57, which led 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. Winger was asked to appear more often but concerned she’d be typecast by that role, she declined.
There were no regrets for that decision, the early ‘80s would be prosperous for the rising star.
At the height of her young career, she received numerous nods from the Academy and Golden Globes for performances in three iconic movies of the 1980’s.
In 1980, she starred in Urban Cowboy, with John Travolta, who at the time was driving fans wild with his smooth dance moves in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1988); as Paula in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) and in Terms of Endearment (1983), where she played Emma, a dying young woman with an over-bearing mother, Aurora, played by Shirley MacLaine.
Despite her huge success, Winger, carving hours from her acting schedule, took a mini Hollywood hiatus, and more than four decades after her rise to stardom, speculation of why she left is still circulating.
Most of these rumours revolve around the feuds that Winger had with her co-stars.
Though fans couldn’t get enough of the handsome Gere, it’s been widely reported that Winger had enough of him on the set.
According to an excerpt published on ABC News from the book, “An Actor and a Gentleman,” by co-star, Louis Gossett Jr., who played Sgt. Emil Foley: “The onscreen chemistry between the two of them was terrific, but it was a different story once the camera was turned off. They couldn’t have stayed farther apart from each other.”
Gossett also claims that Winger didn’t think much of Gere’s acting and wrote that she once described Gere as “a brick wall.” And, the film’s director, Taylor Hackford, whom she also did not like, she referred to as “animal.”
It wasn’t only people on that film that ruffled her feathers.
Winger, a free spirit in real life and in her role as Emma, also clashed with the prolific MacLaine, a glamorous, eccentric and seasoned veteran.
Their first meeting set the stage for their relationship.
“To see how my character would feel I was wearing all my leftover movie-star fur coats,” MacLaine said in an interview with People. “There was Debra dressed in combat boots and a miniskirt…I thought, ‘Oh my goodness.’”
People writes, “Indeed, the set became the source of Hollywood’s most relished rumors. Winger wanted top billing. One reportedly slugged the other.”
And then, the women were pitted against each other in the Oscars when they were both nominated for best actress.
MacLaine, taking the trophy home, said in her acceptance speech, “I deserve this!”
Rumors aside, Winger insists she “pushed the pause button” on Hollywood for personal reasons and not professional.
“The parts that were coming, I wasn’t interested in. I’d already done that or I’d already felt that. I needed to be challenged. My life challenged me more than the parts, so I dove into it fully,” Winger told People.
After starring in the 1995 romcom Forget Paris with Billy Crystal, Winger took a six-year break.
In that time, she moved to New York City and shifted her focus to actor Arliss Howard, whom she married in 1996. The pair have a son, Gideon Babe, who was born in 1997, and she is stepmother to Sam, Howard’s son from a previous marriage. She also has another biological child, Noah Hutton, whom she mothered while married to her first husband, Timothy Hutton (1986 to 1990).
She reappeared in the 2001 film Big Bad Love, that was directed and produced by her husband, who also co-starred alongside Winger and Rosanna Arquette, who’s next project was 2002 film Searching for Debra Winger. As director of the documentary, Arquette attempts to answer why Winger temporarily abandoned her career at peak performance.
Winger gained some momentum with roles in Rachel Getting Married (2008) with Anne Hathaway, the 2017 romcom The Lovers, and the crime-comedy, Kajillionaire (2020).
In 2021, she was in With/In, Volume two of the anthological drama film, in the segment Her Own, which is written and directed by her husband, who also co-stars.
“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,” Winger said, adding, “…although there must be some in-crowds that I just don’t know about.”
Without Debra Winger, we couldn’t imagine Hollywood, and we hope she wins an Oscar soon! Which Winger films are your favorites?
I Found My Daughter’s Wedding Dress Cut to Pieces with My Stepdaughter Standing over It – I Thought She Did It, but I Was Wrong
Instead of joyfully planning weddings together, my two engaged daughters were always bickering. But when I discovered my youngest daughter’s wedding dress destroyed and my stepdaughter standing over it in tears, I realized I’d completely misread the signs of what was really happening in our home.
I’m a mother of two: my biological daughter Hannah (22) and my stepdaughter Christine (23). They grew up together after my husband passed away years ago, and I’ve always tried my best to hold our blended family together.
A sad woman with her two daughters sitting at an outdoor funeral | Source: Midjourney
Last year, both girls still lived at home with me — well, mostly. They spent a good amount of time at their fiancés’ places.
Our house should have been buzzing with the excitement of two upcoming weddings. Instead, the atmosphere grew heavy every time Hannah scrolled through wedding ideas on her phone while Christine sat across from her, barely hiding her annoyance behind a forced smile.
“Look at these centerpieces, Mom!” Hannah held up her phone one evening, her blue eyes sparkling. “Aren’t they gorgeous? They’re doing this thing with floating candles and flower petals. John says it might be over budget, but I think we can make it work if we DIY some of the arrangements.”
Woman in her 20s with long, wavy black hair and blue eyes holding up a phone during dinner in a house | Source: Midjourney
Christine grabbed her glass and headed to the kitchen. “I need a refill. Because apparently, we need to hear about every single wedding detail every single night.”
“Christine,” I warned.
“What?” She spun around. “I’m just saying, some of us are trying to eat dinner without a Pinterest board shoved in our faces.”
This was typical of Christine. She’d always turned everything into a competition with Hannah, from their grades to hobbies and even the attention I gave them after their father died.
Woman in her 20s looking annoyed in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
Hannah never played along, which only seemed to frustrate Christine more.
“Christine, honey,” I called after her. “Don’t you want to show us your wedding ideas too? You mentioned that vintage theme last week.”
“What’s the point?” She leaned against the kitchen door frame. “It’s not like I can get the venue I want anyway. Every decent place is booked through next summer.”
“There are other beautiful venues,” Hannah offered softly. “I could help you look—”
Woman in her 20s holding up her phone at a dinner table frowning slightly | Source: Midjourney
“Of course you could,” Christine cut in. “Because you’re just better than me at Googling.”
I sighed. They continued bickering until I intervened. Little did I know this was only the beginning of an implosion for our family.
A few days later, Hannah bounced into the living room, practically glowing. “John and I set a date!”
Christine froze with the TV remote in the air. “What?”
“Late January!” Hannah twirled around the room. “The Winter Garden had a cancellation, and everything just fell into place perfectly. The coordinator said we got so lucky!”
A wedding venue with a winter garden theme | Source: Midjourney
I watched Christine’s face fall. She’d been engaged to Eric for eight months but struggled to secure a venue. I also suspected that Eric hoped to have a longer engagement before their wedding.
Meanwhile, Hannah had only been engaged for two months and was well on her way to getting married first. John, too, seemed pleased to move forward with their plans.
“You can’t have a January wedding,” Christine said, throwing the remote on the couch and standing up. “That’s too soon. Can’t you wait?”
Annoyed woman in her 20s sitting on a couch looking to the side | Source: Midjourney
“But we already booked everything,” Hannah replied, her excitement deflating slightly. “The deposit’s paid and… oh! Want to see my dress? I still can’t believe I found it!”
Without waiting for an answer, Hannah pulled out her phone and showed us a photo of herself in a stunning $1,500 wedding gown.
“I bought it yesterday,” she added softly. “I’m sorry. I wanted to have a fitting with my bridesmaids and you, Mom, so we could all pick. But this one went on sale online, and I just clicked! It only needs a few alterations. Everything feels meant to be!”
Woman in her 20s holding up her phone in a living room with a bright smile | Source: Midjourney
“Oh, honey! It’s beautiful. Do you have it safe in your room?” I asked. “We can take it to the seamstress today.”
“Sure! I was thinking—”
“I need some air,” Christine snapped, storming out of the room.
Hannah sighed at the interruption and went back to her room. Christine might have been disappointed about her delayed wedding, but she didn’t have the right to make this experience miserable for everyone.
I just didn’t know how to say all this without seeming like I was taking one side.
Worried woman in her 50s sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney
A week passed, and Christine avoided us completely. My texts received short replies like “busy” or “with Eric.” But a few days before Hannah’s wedding, Christine showed up for dinner. John was there too, and something felt off.
The dining room was unusually quiet. John picked at his food, avoiding eye contact with everyone, especially Christine. Even Hannah seemed to notice something was wrong.
“Everything okay, babe?” she asked John, touching his arm gently. “You’ve hardly touched your food.”
“Yeah, just… work stuff.” He pushed his chair back, his fork clattering against the plate. “Mind if I get some air? Need to clear my head.”
Worried man in his late 20s sitting at a dinner table with uneaten food | Source: Midjourney
“Do you want me to come with you?” Hannah asked.
“No!” The word came out too sharp, making us all jump. “I mean, no, thanks. I just need a minute.”
A few minutes after John left, Christine excused herself to use the bathroom. When she didn’t return for a while, I started to worry. Then, she suddenly appeared in the dining room doorway.
“Eric’s waiting outside,” she announced, her voice tight. “I’ve got to go.”
“But you just got here,” Hannah said. “Can’t he come in? We haven’t had dessert yet.”
Untouched pie on a dinner table | Source: Midjourney
“No, it’s… huh… I have to go. Sorry.” Christine turned on her heel.
Something about her tone made me follow her. I was only seconds behind, but the front door was already closed. I also noticed her coat still on the hanger, which was strange for such a cold January evening.
When I stepped outside, there was no sign of Eric’s car. Did they just drive away really fast?
My stomach dropped as realization hit. Mother’s intuition, I suppose, because I rushed back inside and headed straight for Hannah’s room. As I approached, I heard a gasp.
A hallway in a home | Source: Midjourney
I pushed open the door and froze. Hannah’s beautiful wedding dress lay on the bed, cut to pieces from the waist down. Christine stood over it, tears streaming down her face.
“I SWEAR TO GOD IT WAS NOT ME,” she said, her hands shaking. “Mom, I know how this looks, but you have to believe me. I didn’t do this.”
My mind raced, trying to make sense of the scene. But Christine’s raw emotion, her desperate plea of innocence, made me pause.
Woman in her 20s crying in a bedroom | Source: Midjourney
“Okay, if you didn’t do this, tell me what’s going on,” I whispered.
With a fresh wave of tears, Christine told me everything. The truth was, she hadn’t been angry with Hannah about having a wedding first. She’d been worried about her because of… John.
Months ago, during Hannah’s birthday barbecue, she’d seen him acting suspiciously and even caught him texting someone in our backyard.
Man in his late 20s texting in the backyard | Source: Midjourney
“He said they were just texts from his ex,” Christine explained, wiping her eyes. “When I pressed him, he broke down and admitted having doubts about the wedding and talking to his ex about it. I told him, ‘You better figure your feelings fast because if you hurt my sister, I swear to God…'”
She took a shaky breath. “I gave him a deadline to tell Hannah, or I would. Days later, he promised everything was fine, so I dropped it. I should have known better.”
I closed my eyes, shaking my head. “Yes, you should’ve said something, but I understand. You’re the eldest. You wanted to protect her,” I sighed and thought of something. “How did you end up in here?”
Woman in her 50s looking worried and sympathetic in a bedroom | Source: Midjourne
“I saw him leaving Hannah’s room when I was heading to the bathroom. He looked… guilty at getting caught and walked by me and out to the backyard. I followed and confronted him again. I asked him, ‘What did you do?’ He just kept saying everything was fine, but his hands were shaking.”
Christine twisted her fingers together. “When he wouldn’t fess up, I pretended to leave with Eric but went to check Hannah’s room instead. That’s when I found the dress.”
“Oh, God,” I said. “He must have ripped the dress apart to delay the wedding. Why not just talk to Hannah?”
Man in his late 20s ruining a wedding dress in a bedroom | Source: Midjourney
“That’s what I’m saying,” Christine sniffled. “But it’s not just that. Mom, I think he’s cheating. We need to tell her the truth.”
I nodded. “Of course. Otherwise, she’ll think you did this,” I pointed to the dress. “I bet he was counting on that, too. The gall of that man. Come on; it’s time to stop our little girl from making a mistake!”
Christine grabbed my hand and we went out.
We confronted John right there in the living room. I thought he would fight back, but he cracked almost immediately, admitting to destroying the dress to delay the wedding and banking on Hannah’s issues with Christine to cover his tracks.
Man in his late 20s looking upset standing in living room | Source: Midjourney
Hannah was devastated. “Why didn’t you just talk to me?” she sobbed when he confessed. “If you were having doubts, why didn’t you say something? Anything would have been better than this.”
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, not meeting her eyes. “I’ll pay for the dress. I just… I couldn’t go through with it, and I didn’t know how to tell you.”
“Tell her about the texts!” Christine demanded.
“What texts?” Hannah asked.
Confused, upset, and sad woman in her 20s standing in living room | Source: Midjourney
“Nothing, I—”
“Tell her the truth!” I screamed. Enough was enough! My baby wasn’t going to be played with anymore.
Under my harsh glare, John confessed that he’d been seeing his ex for a while now, and that’s why he was having second thoughts about the wedding.
“Get out of here,” Christine said, stepping protectively in front of Hannah. “Now! And never come back!”
An angry woman in her 20s stands in the living room pointing her finger | Source: Midjourney
I backed up the sentiment, and John scurried off like a coward. When the door closed behind him, something remarkable happened.
Christine sat next to Hannah, who was sobbing on the couch, and took her hand.
“Remember when Dad taught us to sew?” Christine asked softly after a while. “That summer we made those horrible matching sundresses?”
Hannah let out a watery chuckle. “They were so crooked. Dad said they had ‘character.'”
“Yes! Well, I actually learned how to do it properly later. Give me the dress.” Christine squeezed Hannah’s hand. “I have an idea. Let me fix this, okay? Not the wedding part, but… maybe I can save something from this mess.”
Ruined wedding dress on a bed | Source: Midjourney
“Why would you do that?” Hannah sniffled. “I thought you hated me.”
“I never hated you,” Christine said quietly. “I just… I always felt like I had to prove I belonged here. After Dad died, I was so scared of losing my place in this family. But you’re my sister, Hannah. I should have been protecting you all along instead of competing with you.”
That’s when I started blubbering.
Woman in her 50s crying from happiness in a living room | Source: Midjourney
Christine spent the following day transforming the ruined wedding gown into a stunning cocktail dress. So, when the original wedding date arrived days later, instead of a ceremony, we held a small family gathering at the venue.
Some of our relatives had traveled from across the country, so this was the perfect way to avoid wasting the money that had already been spent. Everyone was happy, including Hannah, who got to talk to her cousins and recount how we discovered John was a coward.
I was glad my daughter could smile after such a thing, and I knew that it was in part because Christine had been trying to protect her all along. Our family changed that day… for the better.
Woman in her 20s wearing a white cocktail dress smiles while talking to other people at a party venue | Source: Midjourney
“Mom,” Christine said as we watched Hannah twirl in her redesigned dress, showing it off to their aunts and cousins, “will you and Hannah walk me down the aisle when it’s my turn? Both of you? I know it’s not traditional, but…”
“I’d be honored,” I said, pulling her close.
“Me too!” Hannah chimed in, joining our hug.
Woman in her 20s wearing a white cocktail dress smiles with her arms open wide for a hug at a party venue | Source: Midjourney
Leave a Reply