Annette Bening

Publicly criticized Hillary Clinton s 2000 bid for a seat in the Senate representing New York as the work of an opportunist.

Studied at San Diego Mesa College, and completed her drama degree at San Francisco State University. Studied at San Franciscos American Conservatory Theater and joined its acting company.

Has two brothers, Brad and Byron Bening, and one sister, Jane Bening. She is the youngest.

Attended and graduated from Patrick Henry High School in San Diego, California, where she studied drama.

Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1990" in John Willis Screen World, Vol. 42.

Was the first choice to play the role of Carolyn Burnham in American Beauty .

At The 63rd Annual Academy Awards , host Billy Crystal introduced Bening by saying, "Shell soon be appearing as none other than Catwoman in Batman Returns ", a role that the studio gave to Michelle Pfeiffer when Bening became pregnant.

Sister-in-law of actress/producer/director/writer Shirley MacLaine.

Aunt of actress Sachi Parker.

Has four children with Warren Beatty : Kathlyn (born January 8, 1992), Benjamin (born August 23, 1994), Isabel (born January 11, 1997), and Ella (born April 8, 2000).

Has appeared on "The Sopranos" as herself and was married to actor John Heard in the episode.

She said that her idols are Helen Mirren , Frances McDormand , Liv Ullmann and Ingrid Bergman.

Has appeared in three films directed by Mike Nichols : Postcards from the Edge (in a small role), Regarding Henry and What Planet Are You From? .

Was the subject of an urban legend claiming that she had been the model for the Columbia Pictures logo. This rumor was untrue but so widespread that Bening, herself, told Roger Ebert that she believed it to be true.

Was nominated for Broadways 1987 Tony Award as Best Actress (Featured Role - Play) for "Coastal Disturbances".

Hired to play the romantic lead on the sitcom "Just in Time" . After the first table read, the producers fired her saying they "wanted to move the character in a new direction". She was replaced by Patricia Kalember.

During an early part of her career in New York, she auditioned for a role on the soap opera "Loving" . A screen-test was offered, and after thinking about it, she declined to pursue the matter.

Former board member of the small Los Angeles theater company "The Actors Gang".

Shortly after Bugsy wrapped up production, Annette learned she was pregnant with hers and Warrens daughter, Kathlyn Beatty.

She was originally slated to play Tess Coleman in Freaky Friday . She backed out shortly before filming and was replaced by Jamie Lee Curtis.

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California in November 10, 2006.

Once spent a year on a charter boat, working as a cook.

Her first husband was American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) director J. Steven White. They married in 1984, separated in 1986 and divorced in 1991.

In California, she finished high school in three years at Patrick Henry High School and studied theater for two years at San Diego Mesa College. She subsequently attended San Francisco State University and was certified with a drama degree.

Twice lost to Hilary Swank for the Best Actress Oscar, once for 1999 and again for 2004.

Actor Steven Schub (lead singer of ska band The Fenwicks) and actress Teri Hatcher were among her students at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.

She was offered US$1 million for the role of Catwoman in Batman Returns , which went to Michelle Pfeiffer.

Received the American Riviera Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on January 28, 2011.

Returned to work four months after giving birth to her son Benjamin in order to begin filming The American President .

Was eight months pregnant with her daughter Ella when she attended The 72nd Annual Academy Awards , where she was nominated for Best Actress.

Replaced Julianne Moore for the role of Deidre Burroughs in Running with Scissors and in Danny Collins . She and Moore would co-star in The Kids Are All Right .

Worked on Open Range for just two weeks. Director Kevin Costner filmed all of Benings scenes in succession so she could leave location early and return to her family.

In 2001, she was in talks to star in a biography of Judy Garland titled "Rainbows End", but the film never came to be.It was to have been executive produced by director Oliver Stone and Sid Luft, Judy Garlands ex husband with it focusing on the behind the scenes story of Judys disastrous weekly television variety series in the early 1960s.

Turned down Robin Wright s role in The Playboys . Ironically, 17 years later, Wright turned down the role of Benings daughter in Mother and Child .

Has played a real estate agent three times: Regarding Henry , American Beauty and What Planet Are You From? .

Is the chairman of the Actors Branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Art and Sciences.

The longest she has gone without an Oscar nomination is nine years, between The Grifters and American Beauty .

She has German, English, Irish and Welsh ancestry. Her surname is German.

As of 2014, has appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Bugsy , American Beauty and The Kids Are All Right . American Beauty won in the category.

Oldest daughter Kathlyn revealed she was transgender at age 14. She changed her name from Kathlyn Elizabeth to Stephen Ira Beatty.

I still remember the five points of salesmanship: attention, interest,conviction, desire and close.

With the camera so close, you can see right down into your soul,hopefully. So being able to do that in a way is terrifying, and in,another way, truly liberating. And I like that about it.

I am really looking forward as I get older and older, to being less and,less nice.

Five billion people have played Hamlet. "To be or not to be". And how do,you do that and find your way into your own journey, your own way of,telling it?,I wanted to be a classical actress. I plodded along. I went to junior,college in San Francisco, I was in a Repertory Company. My hero was Eva,Le Gallienne, who was a great theater actress at the turn of the,century who created her own company, and she wrote these hilarious,autobiographies at the time.

The tension I feel is the moment they say, "Action!". Movies are like,lightning in a bottle, and you always want to find when you possibly,can catch a surprising moment.

By the time I was in high school, Roe v. Wade had passed, so that was,also happening; girls were getting pregnant and getting abortions - and,that happened in my school too.

Everybody has a public life, and they have their own private life.

Most people are looking for something to give their life meaning.

Anyone who is drawn in broad strokes either negatively or positively is,generally not very interesting to play.

I act, but I am a mother first and wife second.

I feel that certain things are best kept inside a family and not,discussed with anyone else.

I am in awe of Ruth Draper.

I never felt like I had made it.

I love the craft of acting, I love learning, I love everything that,comes with the new project; the whole process is totally intoxicating,to me.

I love the luxury of the camera. The camera does so much for you. I like,the secrets a camera can tell.

I like things that I feel comfortable in.

I had never been attracted to younger guys. I had, from my late teens,always liked men who were older than me.

I just want to be educated.

I find the reality of our emotional lives interesting.

Having a life outside of movies is like pure oxygen. It makes the work,more precious and informed.

Critics have a responsibility to put things in a cultural and,sociological or political context. That is important.

Glamour is really fun.

If anything, I want to please people too much.

My dad was in the life insurance business, so I learned about selling,when I was about 14 because I started working as a secretary.

My parents were very supportive. They went to every show. And they never,told me not to do what I was doing.

I think for all of us, as we age, there are always a few moments when,you are shocked.

I think people have a right to their point of view.

I never thought my private life would be newsworthy.

I think we as celebrities have a lot more control.

What makes us love a character is a character that tries.

The time I spend with my kids informs every fiber of who I am.

A lot of directors in my experience are very receptive. They see what,you do first, and then they want to find a place to put the camera, and,they tweak you here and there.

I think you sort of shed skins as you go along in life. You get into,your 40s, and you feel like "Okay, no more pretending. " You get to just,be who you are.

My character in Running with Scissors (2006) is manic-depressive.

She starts out as a wonderfully eccentric person, and then descends,into a terrible illness.

My sister and I fought a lot when we were kids. I was the little bratty,sister, and she would kind of walk away, not wanting to be associated,with me.

I saw a Shakespeare play when I was - I guess I was in junior high. And,I just fell in love with the theater because, for me, it was a,combination of big ideas and feeling.

I feel very, very lucky to have come from the family I did. We have our,dysfunctions and our problems, just like any family. But my parents are,extremely loving people.

I think in the past, around the time that method acting became so,prevalent, it used to be that American actors were thought to be the,kind that would work more from the inside out, and that the English,actors worked more from the outside in.

With movies, so much of it is, "Who is the human being that is going to,be directing it?". Because it is their medium. In a way, you are,serving the director, and when it is someone that you feel you can have,a lot of confidence in, it can make a big difference.

What really motivates you to try to work things out as an actor is in,large part fear, because you want to get into that narrative and bring,the audience along.

We all get lost along the way, but hopefully we figure out some sort of,path. It helps if you can imagine the process as well as the goal.

Those kinds of dreams are easier to achieve.

We all get lost along the way, but hopefully we figure out some sort of path. It helps if you can imagine the process as well as the goal. Those kinds of dreams are easier to achieve.