Douglas recalls a tense moment with Winger that led to her being replaced by Kathleen Turner
Michael Douglas has shared that Debra Winger was originally set to star alongside him in the 1984 classic Romancing the Stone but lost the role to Kathleen Turner following an unusual incident.
During a recent appearance on the Literally! With Rob Lowe podcast, Douglas recounted meeting Winger in the early 1980s when she was preparing for her role as a terminally ill woman in Terms of Endearment. He explained that they were having dinner together with some tequilas when she unexpectedly bit his arm.
“I was shocked,” Douglas said. “I break down in tears and say, ‘I can’t go to the jungle with her – she bit me on the arm! I can’t do it – it’s not worth it!’ So they said, ‘OK, all right.’”
Douglas described the moment as both shocking and concerning, noting that the bite broke the skin. This incident ultimately led to his decision to approach director Robert Zemeckis and the studio to express his hesitation about working alongside Winger.
The story amused Rob Lowe, who declared the anecdote as his “favourite episode” of the podcast.
Recently, Douglas celebrated the 30th anniversary of Basic Instinct on Instagram, referencing the “controversy along the way” surrounding the film. His co-star Sharon Stone has previously alleged that she was misled into revealing her bare crotch during filming and confronted director Paul Verhoeven after discovering the scene in a preview screening. Verhoeven has denied her claim, asserting that Stone would have been aware of the shot’s implications.
