Lived in Israel with an Israeli youth program; served in the Israeli army for three months

Return to Los Angeles and joined an acting workshop led by Michael Gazzo

At 18 was involved in an automobile accident and suffered a cerebral hemorrhage as a result; was left partially paralyzed and blind for ten months; after she recovered, decided that she would pursue acting in Los Angeles

Made TV acting debut as the title character's younger sister, Drusilla, in the CBS series "Wonder Woman"

Film acting debut in "Slumber Party '57"

Made TV-movie debut in "Special Olympics" (CBS)

Breakthrough screen role as John Travolta's love interest in "Urban Cowboy"

Lent her voice (mixed with the voice of an elderly woman) to the title character of "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial"

Received first Best Actress Academy Award nomination as Richard Gere's love interest in "An Officer and a Gentleman"

First film with Nick Nolte, "Cannery Row"; hired to replace Raquel Welch

Played a terminally ill woman in a strained relationship with her mother and husband in "Terms of Endearment"; garnered second Best Actress Academy Award nomination

Starred opposite Robert Redford in the Ivan Reitman comedy "Legal Eagles"

Had a box-office hit as the detective tracking down a female serial killer in "Black Widow"

Made an uncredited appearance in "Made in Heaven" starring then-husband Timothy Hutton

Second feature with Nolte, "Everybody Wins"; film scripted by Arthur Miller

Co-starred with John Malkovich in "The Sheltering Sky"

Earned third Best Actress Oscar nomination as American poet, Joy Gresham, opposite Anthony Hopkins as C. S. Lewis in "Shadowlands"

Last film for six years, starring with Billy Crystal in the comedy "Forget Paris"

Announced her "retirement" from acting

Co-starred with husband Arliss Howard in the stage production of "How I Learned to Drive"

Narrated the documentary about the 13th century writer, "Rumi: Poet of the Heart"

Returned to features co-starring with husband, Arliss Howard (who also directed) in "Big Bad Love" (released in 2002)

Subject of the documentary directed by actress, Rosanna Arquette, titled "Searching for Debra Winger"; film focused on the various pressures women face working in the film industry while trying to juggle their professional commitments with their personal responsibilities

Featured in "Radio" with Ed Harris and Cuba Gooding, Jr.

Appeared in Michael Clancy's black comedy "Eulogy"

Co-starred in the HBO film "Sometimes in April" about the Rwandan Genocide of 1994

Directed by husband, Arliss Howard in the Lifetime movie, "Dawn Anna"; received an Emmy nomination for portraying a woman dealing with severe brain disease and family tragedy

Played Anne Hathaway's emotionally unavailable mother in Jonathan Demme's "Rachel Getting Married"

Wrote a book based on her personal recollections titled, Undiscovered

Nominated for the 2008 Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female (“Rachel Getting Married”)