UPDATED May 16: Hope Davis was interviewed at the Tribeca Film Festival and the conversation naturally turned to Mr. Byrne. Ms. Davis knows what Ms. Winger has in store for herself as she takes on a role in season three of In Treatment:

It has come time to ask what every woman wants to know: What is Gabriel Byrne really like? Davis starred in the second season of In Treatment on HBO as Mia, a successful attorney who is missing the personal life she craves and has a very strident dynamic with her therapist, Paul, played by Gabriel Byrne. Asked how she felt about Byrne in real life, Davis says dead-pan, “Madly in love with him.” Women evidently come up to Hope constantly and ask her about Byrne. What does she tell them? “That he deserves to be a heart-throb. He’s all that. He really is. And he’s a great listener.” Byrne combined with the writing made for “The ultimate acting experience.” When asked about her character Mia, Davis says that it brought up the question, “What happens when you neglect people? When you don’t give them your full open heart? I just felt so sorry for her. That she was so alone in the world.”

Hope Davis, Mia in Season Two of In Treatment

UPDATED May 5: The LA Times Blog notes that In Treatment attracts great actors and provides them with memorable roles and a chance to show off their acting chops. Ms. Winger is the latest in the list of  dramatic powerhouses to sit opposite Gabriel Byrne for a little psychological tête-à-tête.

Debra Winger, 2008

UPDATED May 4: It’s official! Variety reports that Debra Winger has signed to join the cast of the third season of In Treatment, set to begin production shortly in New York.

Exciting news! It looks like Debra Winger is about to close a deal with HBO to play a patient of Gabriel Byrne’s psychotherapist character Dr. Paul Weston on the third season of In Treatment.

New York’s Deadline has the details:

EXCLUSIVE: Debra Winger is negotiating to play a regular role in the third series of the HBO dramatic series In Treatment. She will play a patient of Gabriel Byrne’s psychotherapist character Paul. She’s a former big star who is battling insecurity and fear about her career. There is no deal yet, but I hear it’s going to happen. Winger is very selective about jobs, and this one was made easier by the fact that the show, which originated in Los Angeles, now shoots in New York. Winger last appeared in a regular series role when she played Wonder Girl in the Lynda Carter series Wonder Woman in 1976-77, long before her starring roles in films like Terms of Endearment, An Officer and a Gentleman and Urban Cowboy.

Debra Winger is no stranger to Gabriel Byrne fans. She starred opposite Byrne in A Dangerous Woman, a drama from 1993.

Winger and Byrne in A Dangerous Woman

As previously reported on Byrneholics, two other characters for Season Three of In Treatment would  be gay teenager patient Jesse and some other character, quite possibly another patient, played by Indian actor Irrfan Khan.

And yet, some more fresh news: the Series Mania festival held in Paris on 7th April featured a special “In Treatment & BeTipul” event followed by a Q&A with  Hagai Levi, who  informed the audience that he is co-writing the third season of In Treatment. Levi also confirmed that there will be only three patients on the new season, unlike previous seasons, where Dr. Weston treated four patients. (thanks to Aragarna for the scoop!)

16 Comments

  1. *is now excited beyond all reason*

  2. Stephanie

    I am very pleased to see the couple of Dangerous Woman together again !!!!

  3. Great news. It would be wonderful to see Debra and Gabriel acting together again!!! Debra is a really good actress!

  4. interlude

    This is exciting, I have only seen little clips of “A dangerous woman”. Looks like they have real chemistry. I haven’t even seen the second season and now I’m desperate for the third.!!

  5. This is really exiting news.
    Debra Winger and Gabriel, back together again.
    How can I stand the wait for season 3?!

  6. The last time I saw those two together they were lying on a couch simulating a sex act. I suppose that’s why am I getting the impression that Winger is season 3’s Laura. Also, I’m excited that Hagai Levi is directing this time around.

    • Mr. Levy directed episodes from Season Two as well. He has continued to be involved with his original creation in its American incarnation and he seems to be committed to shepherding it through some of its European versions. Now that’s dedication–it must be difficult to see your work go through so many permutations, but gratifying, too.

  7. They did a great deal more together than just fake a bonk on a couch in that film, you know. Incredibly strong performances from both actors.

  8. I’m chiming in to register my complete and total happiness at the prospect of Debra Winger appearing in In Treatment. She is such a phenomenal actress. Her performance, with Anthony Hopkins, in Shadowlands was so strong–a difficult character, with many layers, played with such feeling and realism. And A Dangerous Woman was a tour-de-force for her, and Gabriel as well. The subject matter just caught most reviewers off-guard, I think. I’m looking forward to her work in In Treatment and I’m sure the sparks will fly, as always, between these two! :-)

  9. I admire Winger as an actress, however, I do have 2 concerns. First, I read her bio and I’m troubled that she turned down all those fabulous roles. I can understand rejecting a few, but not that many. Second, I’ve read on more than one occassion that she is difficult to work with. I remember Bette Davis(she liked Winger) once said “good actresses are difficult”. She’d know.

  10. I have a feeling Gabriel will be OK. He was married to Ellen Barkin, after all … :-O

  11. iamyuneek

    Yowsers!! I am not saying they looked at our suggestions (god forbid) but I believe I actually came up with a similar scenario on the old HBO IT board remember? When we were discussing the type of patients we’d like to see in season three? so I am doubly chuffed, and with Debra Winger on board I am so thrilled. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  12. VirginiaRN

    Hey there ‘Neek, I remember your HBO IT senario. How cool is this??
    I remember seeing Touched’s Dangerous Woman video as a “right of passage” when I joined the IT threads. Everyone encouraged me to view it ASAP and I about lost it right then and there! I later saw the entire film and loved it, of course. Gbariel and Debra had great chemistry together (OH YEAH, THAT WAS SOME GOOD CHEMISTRY).
    I am really excited about season 3; I would love to know if any filming has begun yet, I guess Gabriel is still in L.A.?
    Anyway, for the first time in a while I want to say WELL DONE HBO!

    • iamyuneek

      Exactly VRN, well done HBO!

      Interesting that this is bringing her out of retirement(tv wise that is,) but let’s face it, he could bring anyone out of retirement!

      I am so thrilled, it is going to get so much publicity if she does do it, and maybe, just maybe, a lot of repeorters will find the ADW connection adn then maybe more people will want to see it, and then maybe they will bring it out on DVD, maybe :-)

  13. What is Gabriel doing in L.A?

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