Annette Bening
A masterful actress whose sharp intelligence and emotional precision have illuminated complex women for over four decades on stage and screen.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American actress·Birthday: May 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Annette Bening commands the screen with a presence that is both formidable and deeply vulnerable. After cutting her teeth in regional theater, she arrived on Broadway and promptly stole scenes, a talent she seamlessly translated to film. Her early role as the cunning grifter in 'The Grifters' announced an actor unafraid of ambiguity, a quality that has defined her career. Bening specializes in portraying women of intellect and simmering discontent, from the polished academic in 'American Beauty' to the fiery actress in 'Being Julia' and the fiercely political mother in 'The Kids Are All Right.' Her partnership with Warren Beatty, whom she married in 1992, became a pillar of Hollywood stability. On stage, she has tackled Shakespeare and Chekhov with equal authority, earning Tony nominations. Bening’s work is marked by a lack of vanity and a pursuit of truth, making even the most flawed characters resonate with dignity and understanding.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Annette was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Annette Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Annette's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Earned Academy Award nominations for her roles in 'The Grifters,' 'American Beauty,' 'Being Julia,' and 'The Kids Are All Right.'
- Won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress for her performance as a manipulative stage actress in 'Being Julia.'
- Received two Tony Award nominations for her performances in Broadway plays 'Hedda Gabler' and 'All My Sons.'
- Portrayed legendary swimmer Diana Nyad in the 2023 film 'Nyad,' earning her fifth Oscar nomination.
Did You Know?
She studied theater at San Francisco State University and later at the American Conservatory Theater.
She turned down the role of Catwoman in 'Batman Returns,' which ultimately went to Michelle Pfeiffer.
She and her husband, Warren Beatty, have four children together.
She is a longtime member of The Actors' Gang theater company in Los Angeles, founded by Tim Robbins.
“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.”
