TORONTO - Debra Winger has appeared in some of the most enduring films of the past 30 years, earning Oscar nominations for her roles in "An Officer and a Gentleman," "Terms of Endearment" and "Shadowlands."
But in the past few years, the husky-voiced actress has rarely been seen on the big screen. And as she sat down recently to chat about her performance in Jonathan Demme's angst-ridden drama "Rachel Getting Married" -- which opens Friday -- her distaste for the Hollywood publicity machine quickly became apparent.
"I used to love coming on a junket or promoting a film when it was not a 24-7 news cycle and when there wasn't ... so many media outlets (and) you actually talked about the film," Winger said during a round of interviews at the Toronto International Film Festival.
"I don't mean to harp on this, because really, it's fine. It's just -- it eats itself, you know? It becomes about itself and it's symbiotic and weird and I don't understand the celebrity of it. ... I think I'm at an age where I shouldn't have to sit around and talk about that."
"Rachel" star Anne Hathaway has received raves for her portrayal of a recovering drug addict who wreaks havoc at her sister's wedding. But Winger became irritated when asked about award prospects for her co-star.
"You know how to, like, give a girl hives," she told a reporter.
"I'm too old for this. ... I don't participate in that stuff, so I really have no comment on that. I think it's a wonderful performance. I don't care about (Oscar talk). And I hate when it becomes, you know, synonymous with talking about the work.
"I don't know anything about how the business works that way."
Winger, 53, has made no secret of her problems with "the business."
She has called Don Simpson, the late producer of "An Officer and a Gentleman," a "pig," recalling that he'd watch dailies of the film and offer her a water-retention pill because he thought she looked bloated.
In the late 1990s she virtually disappeared from movie-making. In 2002, her exile from acting even became the subject of a documentary called "Searching for Debra Winger," in which many of Hollywood's leading ladies talked about the pressures of the industry.
Recently she taught at Harvard University and wrote a book of essays.
Winger agreed to do "Rachel" -- in which she plays the brittle and emotionally withdrawn mother of Hathaway's character -- because she wanted to work with Demme and was curious about making a movie using digital video.
Demme has high praise for the format, which gives "Rachel" an intimate, home-movie look. It's a style he's honed in recent years with the documentaries "Neil Young: Heart of Gold" and "Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains."
He often gave the actors working on "Rachel" very little instruction, and the loose process was a different experience for Winger.
"I went on the ride," she says. "Would I do it again? As far as (digital video), it's a whole different world. I think each case is different."
"Rachel" -- which stars Rosemarie DeWitt of TV's "Mad Men" as the title character - marks somewhat of a cinematic comeback for Winger. During her time away, she says it was "great to not talk about the constant scrutinizing" of her work. Still, she hinted there might be more films in her future.
"I think it's an interesting experience. And I kind of look forward to seeing what comes my way since I'm kind of open to it again."
