View source for Annette Bening

{{Short description|American actress (born 1958)}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
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{{Infobox person
| name = Annette Bening
| image = AnnetteBeningSept2013TIFF.jpg
| caption = Bening at the [[2013 Toronto International Film Festival]]
| birth_name = Annette <!--- no Francine --->Carol<!--- no Francine ---> Bening
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1958|5|29}}
| birth_place = [[Topeka, Kansas]], U.S.
| education = {{Plainlist|
* [[San Francisco State University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
* [[American Conservatory Theater]] ([[Master of Fine Arts|MFA]])
}}
| occupation = Actress
| years_active = 1980–present
| works = [[List of Annette Bening performances|Full list]]
| spouse = {{unbulleted list
| {{marriage|J. Steven White|May 26, 1984|1991|end=divorced}}
| {{marriage|[[Warren Beatty]]|March 3, 1992}}
}}
| children = 4, including [[Ella Beatty|Ella]]
| awards = [[List of awards and nominations received by Annette Bening|Full list]]
}}

'''Annette Carol Bening''' (born May 29, 1958) is an American actress. With a career spanning over four decades, she is known for [[List of Annette Bening performances|her versatile work across screen and stage]]. Bening has received [[List of awards and nominations received by Annette Bening|numerous accolades]], including a [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Award]], two [[Screen Actors Guild Awards]] and two [[Golden Globe Awards]], in addition to nominations for five [[Academy Awards]], two [[Tony Awards]], and a [[Primetime Emmy Award]], making her one of few artists nominated for the [[Triple Crown of Acting]] without winning.

A graduate of [[San Francisco State University]] and the [[American Conservatory Theater]], Bening started her career on stage with the [[Colorado Shakespeare Festival]] company in 1980, and played [[Lady Macbeth]] in 1984 at the [[American Conservatory Theater]]. She made her [[Broadway (theatre)|Broadway]] debut in the [[Tina Howe]] play ''[[Coastal Disturbances]]'' (1987) for which she received a nomination for the [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play]]. Making her film debut in 1988, she gained further recognition for her role in ''[[The Grifters (film)|The Grifters]]'' (1990), for which she received her first Academy Award nomination. This acclaim continued throughout the 1990s and 2000s with further Oscar-nominated performances in the comedy-dramas ''[[American Beauty (1999 film)|American Beauty]]'' (1999) and ''[[Being Julia]]'' (2004), which respectively won her the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|BAFTA]] and [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Golden Globe for Best Actress]]. Bening's performance as the [[title character]] in the British television film ''[[Mrs. Harris]]'' (2005) earned her a nomination for the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie]].

In following decades, Bening received two additional Oscar nominations for her leading roles as a [[same-sex parenting|lesbian mother]] in ''[[The Kids Are All Right (film)|The Kids Are All Right]]'' (2010) and swimmer [[Diana Nyad]] in the [[Netflix]] biographical film ''[[Nyad (film)|Nyad]]'' (2023), the former of which also won her a Golden Globe. She returned to Broadway in the revival of [[Arthur Miller]]'s ''[[All My Sons]]'' (2019) earning another Tony nomination for [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play|Best Actress in a Play]]. Her other roles during this period include in the films ''[[20th Century Women]]'' (2016), ''[[Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool]]'' (2017), ''[[Captain Marvel (film)|Captain Marvel]]'' (2019) and ''[[Death on the Nile (2022 film)|Death on the Nile]]'' (2022), and the miniseries ''[[Apples Never Fall]]'' (2024).

== Early life and education ==
Annette Carol  Bening<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americanancestors.org/third-set-of-ten-hollywood/ |title=#83 Royal Descents, Notable Kin, and Printed Sources: A Third Set of Ten Hollywood Figures (or Groups Thereof), with a Coda on Two Directors |publisher=AmericanAncestors.org |date=April 18, 2008 |access-date=January 21, 2013 |archive-date=October 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018155421/http://www.americanancestors.org/third-set-of-ten-hollywood/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> was born on May 29, 1958<ref name=biography.com>{{cite web |url=http://www.biography.com/people/annette-bening-9542650 | title=Annette Bening Biography: Film Actress (1958–) |publisher=[[Biography.com]] ([[FYI (TV network)|FYI]]/[[A&E Networks]]) |access-date=February 6, 2017 |archive-date=July 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160703213224/http://www.biography.com/people/annette-bening-9542650 |url-status=live}}</ref> in [[Topeka, Kansas]],<ref name=biography.com /> to Shirley Katherine (née Ashley)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJR8-4GLF |title=Public Record of Shirley Bening |publisher=[[FamilySearch]] |access-date=February 21, 2015 |archive-date=February 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221084231/https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJR8-4GLF |url-status=live}}</ref> and Arnett Grant Bening. Her mother was a church singer and soloist, and her father was a sales training consultant and insurance salesman.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CO&s_site=charlotte&p_multi=CO&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB6D15C7B010E1F&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D |title=Putting 'Real Life' First Makes Bening A Better Actress |publisher=Nl.newsbank.com |access-date=January 21, 2013 |archive-date=October 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004103827/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CO&s_site=charlotte&p_multi=CO&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB6D15C7B010E1F&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/annette-bening/bio/140256 |title=Annette Bening Biography |work=[[TV Guide]] |access-date=February 23, 2011 |archive-date=January 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120033923/http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/annette-bening/bio/140256 |url-status=live}}</ref> Her parents, originally from [[Iowa]], were practicing [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopalian]]s and [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]s. She is of mostly German and English descent.<ref name="ref12">{{cite web |last=Dutka |first=Elaine |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/39146076.html?dids=39146076:39146076&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Feb+21%2C+1999&author=ELAINE+DUTKA&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=COVER+STORY%3B+The+Aura+of+Annette%3B+If+She+Makes+the+Merging+of+Career+and+Family+Appear+Effortless%2C+It's+an+Illusion.&pqatl=google |title=The Aura of Annette; If She Makes the Merging of Career and Family Appear Effortless, It's an Illusion |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=February 21, 1999 |access-date=April 29, 2008 |archive-date=January 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111215256/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/39146076.html?dids=39146076%3A39146076&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&date=Feb+21%2C+1999&author=ELAINE+DUTKA&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=COVER+STORY%3B+The+Aura+of+Annette%3B+If+She+Makes+the+Merging+of+Career+and+Family+Appear+Effortless%2C+It%27s+an+Illusion.&pqatl=google |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A54023-2004Oct22|title=Annette Bening, Acting on Her Maternal Instincts |first=Desson |last=Thomson |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 24, 2004 |access-date=May 3, 2010}}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The youngest of four children, she has an older sister Jane, and two older brothers Bradley and Byron. The family moved to [[Wichita, Kansas]], in 1959, where she spent her early childhood. When Bening was in elementary school, her father relocated the family to San Diego, California, where she spent the remainder of her youth.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-en-mn-annette-bening-20th-century-women-20170117-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |title=Annette Bening wonders: Can kids and parents ever truly know one another? |last=Whipp |first=Glenn |date=January 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220221021417/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-en-mn-annette-bening-20th-century-women-20170117-story.html |archive-date=February 21, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> 

She began acting in junior high school, playing the lead in ''[[The Sound of Music]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cherney |first=Kristeen |date=2024-03-18 |title=The Stunning Transformation Of Annette Bening |url=https://www.thelist.com/1539963/annette-bening-stunning-transformation/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=The List |language=en-US}}</ref> She graduated in 1975 from San Diego's [[Patrick Henry High School (San Diego, California)|Patrick Henry High School]], where she studied drama.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rochlin |first=Margy |date=December 11, 2023 |orig-date=December 11, 2023 |title='I was terrified, to tell you the truth': How Annette Bening became a swimmer for 'Nyad' |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2023-12-11/annette-bening-distance-swimming-nyad |access-date=November 19, 2024 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McAllister |first=Toni |date=2016-11-29 |title=$16M Theater Opening at Patrick Henry High, With Help From Annette Bening |url=https://timesofsandiego.com/education/2016/11/28/16m-performing-arts-theater-opening-at-patrick-henry-hs-with-help-from-actress-annette-bening/ |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=Times of San Diego |language=en-US}}</ref> She then spent a year working as a cook on a charter boat taking fishing parties out on the Pacific Ocean, and scuba diving for recreation. Bening attended [[San Diego Mesa College]] and graduated with a degree in [[Theatre Arts]] at [[San Francisco State University]].<ref>{{cite web |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/annette-bening-s-f-state-and-act-alum-cant-wait-to-get-back-into-the-theater |title=Annette Bening, S.F. State and ACT alum, can't wait to 'get back into the theater' |last=Zack |first=Jessica |date=November 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220221021725/https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/annette-bening-s-f-state-and-act-alum-cant-wait-to-get-back-into-the-theater |archive-date=February 21, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Career==

===1986–1999: Initial work, breakthrough and rise to prominence===
[[File:Annette Bening 1999.jpg|thumb|170px|left|upright|Bening in 1999]]
Bening began her career on stage with the [[Colorado Shakespeare Festival]] company in 1980,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Theater/production/stage/1192/ |website=Internet Shakespeare Editions |title=Love's Labour's Lost (1980 Colorado Shakespeare Festival) |access-date=May 29, 2016 |archive-date=July 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701143035/http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Theater/production/stage/1192/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and appeared in plays at the [[San Diego Repertory Theatre]]. She was a member of the acting company at the [[American Conservatory Theater]] in San Francisco while studying acting as part of the Advanced Theatre Training Program. There, she starred in such productions as Shakespeare's ''[[Macbeth]]'' as [[Lady Macbeth]]. Bening also starred in productions of ''[[Pygmalion (play)|Pygmalion]]'' and ''[[The Cherry Orchard]]'' at the [[Denver Center for the Performing Arts|Denver Center Theatre Company]] during the 1985–86 season. She made her [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] debut in 1987, garnering a [[Tony Award]] nomination for [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play|Best Featured Actress in a Play]]<ref name="tony87"/> and receiving a [[Theatre World Award]] for her performance as young photographer Holly Dancer in ''[[Coastal Disturbances]]''. Bening made her film debut in ''[[The Great Outdoors (film)|The Great Outdoors]]'' (1988), starring [[Dan Aykroyd]] and [[John Candy]]. Her next role was as the Marquise de Merteuil in ''[[Valmont (film)|Valmont]]'' (1989) opposite [[Colin Firth]].

Bening achieved her breakthrough with her performance as [[con artist]] Myra Langtry in the neo-noir crime thriller ''[[The Grifters (film)|The Grifters]]'' (1990), for which she earned her first nominations for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] and the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role]].<ref name="Oscar63"/> In 1991, she portrayed [[Virginia Hill]] in [[Barry Levinson]]'s biopic ''[[Bugsy]]'', alongside [[Warren Beatty]]. For ''Bugsy'', she received her first nomination for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama]]. Bening co-starred with [[Harrison Ford]] in ''[[Regarding Henry]]''. In 1994, Bening and Beatty starred together again, in ''[[Love Affair (1994 film)|Love Affair]]''. In 1995, Bening played a leading role as an environmental [[lobbyist]] in ''[[The American President]]'' with [[Michael Douglas]], a role she followed with [[Tim Burton]]'s sci-fi spoof ''[[Mars Attacks!]]'' (1996), and ''[[The Siege (1998 film)|The Siege]]'' (1998), a thriller with [[Denzel Washington]] and [[Bruce Willis]].

Bening garnered acclaim for her starring role in [[Sam Mendes]]' directorial debut film, ''[[American Beauty (1999 film)|American Beauty]]'' (1999). She starred opposite [[Kevin Spacey]] in the dark comedy-drama about a man suffering a mid-life crisis in 90s American suburbia. The film won five [[Academy Awards]], including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]. For her performance as Carolyn Burnham, a materialistic wife engaging in an affair, Bening won the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role]] and the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role]], in addition to her first nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]<ref name="Oscar72" /> and her second nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.<ref name="globes" />

In 1999, Bening returned to the stage for the first time in 10 years playing the title role in ''[[Hedda Gabler]]'' at the [[Geffen Playhouse]] in Los Angeles.  The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' praised her performance saying "Bening uses her vocal instrument to fine effect, without throwing it around... In the movies you don't always hear what Bening can do with that voice, especially when she's playing virtuous, "sensible" types... But Ibsen's antiheroine—thwarted sensualist, a woman wrestling with her inner troll, belle of a ball that never comes—is neither virtuous nor sensible. She's no easy-to-read villain, either, nor a mere vindictive brat, though plenty of actresses have reduced her thus. Bening lays into the venomous sarcasm mighty heavily, but she's cagey enough to avoid reductive extremes."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-26-ca-21064-story.html |title='Hedda': A Woman Always on the Verge |last=Phillips |first=Michael |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=March 26, 1999 |access-date=May 3, 2020 |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726050116/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-26-ca-21064-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

===2000–2014: Established actress===
Bening starred in other films, including ''[[In Dreams (film)|In Dreams]]'' (1999) and ''[[What Planet Are You From?]]'' (2000). Bening played Sue Barlow in ''[[Open Range (2003 film)|Open Range]]'' (2003). She earned critical acclaim for playing the eponymous lead in the comedy-drama ''[[Being Julia]]'' (2004). Her performance in the film earned her first [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical]], in addition to her second nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role.<ref name="Oscar77"/> She received nominations for the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie]] and the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film]] for her role of [[Jean Harris]] in the [[HBO]] film ''[[Mrs. Harris]]'' (2005).<ref name="emmy"/> She replaced [[Julianne Moore]] and starred in the film adaptation of ''[[Running with Scissors (film)|Running with Scissors]]'' (2006), for which she earned her third nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.<ref name="globes"/> Bening starred in ''[[The Women (2008 film)|The Women]]'' (2008) remake. In 2009, Bening starred in a new interpretation of the [[Euripides]] classic ''[[Medea (play)|Medea]]'' at [[UCLA]]'s Freud Playhouse.<ref>{{cite web |title=UCLA Live's new season: Annette Bening stars in world premiere |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June 3, 2009 |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/06/ucla-live.html |access-date=October 7, 2012 |archive-date=May 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521204426/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/06/ucla-live.html |url-status=live}}</ref> She received positive reviews for her performance in the independent film ''[[Mother and Child (2009 film)|Mother and Child]]'' (2009).<ref>{{cite web |first=A. O. |last=Scott |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/movies/07mother.html |title=In a Melancholy Los Angeles, 'La Ronde' of Motherhood |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 7, 2010 |access-date=February 23, 2011 |archive-date=November 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114020310/http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/movies/07mother.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2010, she starred in [[The Female of the Species (play)|''The Female of the Species'']], [[Joanna Murray-Smith]]'s comedy, at the [[Geffen Playhouse]] in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web|title=She's So Under the Gun, She Can't Leave Her Desk|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 1, 2010|url=http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/theater/reviews/01female.html|access-date=October 7, 2012|archive-date=June 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120624125605/http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/theater/reviews/01female.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Later that year, Bening received critical acclaim for her performance in ''[[The Kids Are All Right (film)|The Kids Are All Right]]''; a reviewer said that she "deserves an Oscar" and another praised her "sublime" performance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s2985212.htm |title=At the Movies: The Kids Are All Right |website=ABC Australia |access-date=February 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203063340/http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s2985212.htm |archive-date=February 3, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> For her role, Bening won her second Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.<ref name="globes" /> She also received nominations for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, in addition to her third nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.<ref name="Oscar83"/>

In 2012, Bening's audiobook recording of [[Virginia Woolf]]'s ''[[Mrs. Dalloway]]'' was released at [[Audible.com]]. In 2014, she starred in Shakespeare's ''[[King Lear]]'' at the [[Delacorte Theater]] in [[Central Park]], as part of the Public Theatre's Free [[New York Shakespeare Festival|Shakespeare in the Park]]. It marked her first New York stage appearance in twenty years.<ref>{{cite web |first=David |last=Gordon |url=http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/05-2014/annette-bening-jessica-hecht-and-more-will-join-jo_68620.html |title=Annette Bening, Jessica Hecht, and More Will Join John Lithgow in Shakespeare in the Park's King Lear |website=TheaterMania.com |date=May 20, 2014 |access-date=September 19, 2015 |archive-date=September 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923030130/http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/05-2014/annette-bening-jessica-hecht-and-more-will-join-jo_68620.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://playbill.com/news/article/191380-Annette-Bening-Jessica-Collins-Jessica-Hecht-Will-Be-John-Lithgows-Daughters-in-King-Lear |title=Annette Bening, Jessica Collins, Jessica Hecht Will Be John Lithgow's Daughters in King Lear |website=[[Playbill]] |date=May 20, 2014 |access-date=September 19, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730092124/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/191380-Annette-Bening-Jessica-Collins-Jessica-Hecht-Will-Be-John-Lithgows-Daughters-in-King-Lear |archive-date=July 30, 2014}}</ref> Bening starred in [[Dan Fogelman]]'s 2015 American [[comedy drama]] [[Danny Collins (film)|''Danny Collins'']] with [[Al Pacino]].

===2016–present: Later career===
[[File:Life Itself cast at TIFF 2018.jpg|thumb|right| [[Olivia Wilde]], Bening, [[Mandy Patinkin]], [[Olivia Cooke]], [[Laia Costa]] at the [[Toronto International Film Festival|TIFF]] premiere for ''[[Life Itself (2018 film)|Life Itself]]'' in 2018]]
In 2016, Bening starred in [[Mike Mills (director)|Mike Mills]]'s comedy drama ''[[20th Century Women]]'' alongside [[Elle Fanning]], [[Greta Gerwig]], and [[Billy Crudup]].<ref>{{cite web |last=McNary |first=Dave |title=Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig, Elle Fanning Join '20th Century Women' |url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/annette-bening-greta-gerwig-elle-fanning-20th-century-women-1201496066/ |website=Variety |date=May 14, 2015 |access-date=December 11, 2017 |archive-date=June 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606004657/http://variety.com/2015/film/news/annette-bening-greta-gerwig-elle-fanning-20th-century-women-1201496066/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Bening played a chain-smoking first-wave feminist struggling to raise her teenage son. Sheila O'Malley of ''[[Roger Ebert|Roger Ebert.com]]'' declared, "Bening has one of the best performances of the year (and one of Bening's personal best as well)".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/20th-century-women-2016 |title= 20th Century Women |website=Rogerebert.com |access-date=July 28, 2023}}</ref> For her performance, she was nominated for the [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead]] and the [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress]], in addition to her fifth nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.

The following year, she portrayed [[Gloria Grahame]] in ''[[Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool]]'' (2017) alongside [[Jamie Bell]], [[Vanessa Redgrave]], and [[Julie Walters]]. [[Peter Bradshaw]] critic from ''[[The Guardian]]'' praised her performance declaring, "Bening is excellent as Grahame: imperious, vulnerable, romantic, sexually excited about her younger man, wanly aware of secrets she cannot share with him".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/sep/02/film-stars-dont-die-in-liverpool-review-jamie-bell-annette-bening-gloria-grahame |title=Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool review – Annette Bening and Jamie Bell in stranger-than-fiction love story |website=Guardian |date=September 2, 2017 |access-date=July 28, 2023 |last1= Bradshaw |first1= Peter}}</ref> She received her third nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the film. The following year, she starred as Irina Arkadina in ''[[The Seagull (2018 film)|The Seagull]]'' and as Dr. Cait Morris in ''[[Life Itself (2018 film)|Life Itself]]'' (2018).

In 2019, Bening returned to the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] stage after a 32-year absence. She starred in the revival of [[Arthur Miller]]'s ''[[All My Sons]]'' alongside [[Tracy Letts]] at the [[Roundabout Theatre Company]]'s [[American Airlines Theatre]]. The play opened on April 4, 2019, and closed on June 23, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/2018-2019-season/arthur-millers-all-my-sons/ |title=Arthur Miller's All My Sons |access-date=March 23, 2019 |archive-date=March 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321181440/https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/2018-2019-season/arthur-millers-all-my-sons/ |url-status=live}}</ref> She was nominated for the [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play]] for her performance.<ref name="tony19" /> The following year, she portrayed Senator [[Dianne Feinstein]] in the political drama film ''[[The Report (2019 film)|The Report]]'' (2019) for which she earned her first nomination for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture]].<ref name="globes"/>

Bening joined the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]] playing Dr. Wendy Lawson in ''[[Captain Marvel (film)|Captain Marvel]]'' (2019) alongside [[Brie Larson]]. The film was a financial box-office hit. In 2022, she acted in [[Kenneth Branagh]]'s ''[[Death on the Nile (2022 film)|Death on the Nile]]'' and the comedy ''[[Jerry & Marge Go Large]]'' opposite [[Bryan Cranston]]. That same year, she filmed ''[[Nyad (film)|Nyad]]'' alongside [[Jodie Foster]], where Bening portrayed [[Long-distance swimming|long-distance swimmer]] [[Diana Nyad]]. The film was distributed by [[Netflix]] and premiered at the [[2023 Toronto International Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://deadline.com/2023/07/2023-toronto-film-festival-lineup-movies-list-1235446040/ |title= TIFF Lineup Unveiled Amid Strikes: Awards Contenders 'Dumb Money', 'The Holdovers', 'Rustin'; Starry Pics For Sale With Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet, Michael Keaton, Viggo Mortensen & More |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=July 24, 2023 |access-date= July 28, 2023}}</ref> Her performance earned high critical acclaim,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reed |first=Rex |author-link=Rex Reed |date=October 23, 2023 |title=If There's Any Justice, 'NYAD' Will Be Remembered When Awards Season Rolls Around |url=https://observer.com/2023/10/nyad-movie-review-annette-bening-and-jodie-foster-deserve-oscars/ |access-date=January 17, 2024 |website=[[The New York Observer|Observer]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Travers |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Travers |date=October 20, 2023 |title=Review: You'll cheer like crazy after seeing 'Nyad' |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/review-youll-cheer-crazy-after-nyad/story?id=104135740 |access-date=January 17, 2024 |website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Maltin |first=Leonard |author-link=Leonard Maltin |date=December 21, 2023 |title=My Favorite Films of the Year |url=https://leonardmaltin.com/my-favorite-films-of-the-year/ |access-date=January 17, 2024 |website=Leonardmaltin.com}}</ref> and earned her a fourth nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.<ref name="Oscar96"/> 

In 2023, Bening was elected Chair of the Board of Trustees for the [[Entertainment Community Fund]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kilkenny |first=Katie |date=2023-06-15 |title=Annette Bening Named New Chair of Entertainment Community Fund Board (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/entertainment-community-fund-board-annette-bening-new-chair-1235514859/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> She next starred in [[Liane Moriarty]]'s ''[[Apples Never Fall]]'', based on the bestselling thriller which was adaptated by [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]] and also features [[Sam Neill]]. The limited series premiered with all episodes immediately available to stream on March 15, 2024.

==Personal life==
While training at the [[American Conservatory Theater]], Bening met actor J. Steven White, marrying him in 1984. They moved to Colorado where White managed the [[Denver Center for the Performing Arts]]. They divorced in 1991.<ref>{{cite book|title=Who's Who of American Women|isbn=9780837904306|year=2004|page=94}}</ref>

She has been married to actor [[Warren Beatty]] since March 3, 1992. They have four children, including actress [[Ella Beatty]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 28, 2020 |title='In real life, people aren't heroic': Annette Bening and Bill Nighy on why marriages implode |url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/aug/28/in-real-life-people-arent-heroic-annette-bening-and-bill-nighy-on-why-marriages-implode |access-date=July 23, 2022 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Taylor |first1=Elise |title=Meet Ella Beatty, the Breakout Star of Feud Who's Now Heading to Broadway |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/meet-ella-beatty-the-breakout-star-of-feud-whos-now-heading-to-broadway |website=Vogue |date=February 21, 2024 |access-date=25 July 2024}}</ref>

== Acting credits and accolades ==
{{main|List of Annette Bening performances|List of awards and nominations received by Annette Bening}}
Bening has received numerous accolades, including a [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Award]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://awards.bafta.org/award/2000/film/actress-in-a-leading-role |title=Film - Actress in a Leading Role (2000) |access-date=January 26, 2024 |publisher=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]]}}</ref> two [[Golden Globe Awards]],<ref name="globes">{{Cite web |url=https://goldenglobes.com/person/annette-bening/ |title=Annette Bening - Overview |access-date=January 26, 2024 |publisher=[[Golden Globes|Golden Globes, LLC]]}}</ref> and two [[Screen Actors Guild Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/6th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards |title=The 6th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards |access-date=January 26, 2024 |publisher=[[Screen Actors Guild]]}}</ref> She has also received nominations for a [[Primetime Emmy Award]]<ref name="emmy">{{Cite web |url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/annette-bening |title=Annette Bening - Awards & Nominations |access-date=January 26, 2024 |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]}}</ref> and two [[Tony Award]]s.<ref name="tony87">{{Cite web |url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1987/category/any/show/any/ |title=Nominations - 1987 |access-date=January 26, 2024 |publisher=[[Tony Awards]]}}</ref><ref name="tony19">{{Cite web |url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2019/category/any/show/any/ |title=Nominations - 2019 |access-date=January 26, 2024 |publisher=[[Tony Awards]]}}</ref>

She has also received five [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nominations, for the following films:
*[[63rd Academy Awards]]: [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] nomination for ''[[The Grifters (film)|The Grifters]]'' (1990)<ref name="Oscar63">{{Cite web |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1991 |title=The 63rd Academy Awards (1991) |date=October 4, 2014 |access-date=January 26, 2024 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]}}</ref>
*[[72nd Academy Awards]]: [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] nomination for ''[[American Beauty (1999 film)|American Beauty]]'' (1999)<ref name="Oscar72">{{cite news |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2000 |title=The 72nd Academy Awards (2000) |access-date=January 26, 2024 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]}}</ref>
*[[77th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress nomination for ''[[Being Julia]]'' (2004)<ref name="Oscar77">{{Cite news |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2005 |title=The 77th Academy Awards (2005) |access-date=January 26, 2024 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]}}</ref>
*[[83rd Academy Awards]]: Best Actress nomination for ''[[The Kids Are All Right (film)|The Kids Are All Right]]'' (2010)<ref name="Oscar83">{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2011 |title=The 83rd Academy Awards (2011) |date=October 7, 2014 |access-date=January 26, 2024 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]}}</ref>
*[[96th Academy Awards]], Best Actress nomination for ''[[Nyad (film)|Nyad]]'' (2023)<ref name="Oscar96">{{Cite web |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2024 |title=The 96th Academy Awards (2024) |access-date=January 26, 2024 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of American film actresses]]
* [[List of American television actresses]]
* [[List of actors with Academy Award nominations]]
* [[List of actors with more than one Academy Award nomination in the acting categories]]
* [[List of Golden Globe winners]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Annette Bening}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{IOBDB name}}
* {{Emmys person|annette-bening}}

{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Annette Bening|Awards for Annette Bening]]
|list =
{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Actress}}
{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Grownup Love Story}}
{{American Riviera Award}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Actress 1980-1999}}
{{Donostia Award}}
{{Gregory Peck Award}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestActressMotionPictureMusicalComedy 2001-2020}}
{{Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year}}
{{IFTA Award for Best International Actress}}
{{London Film Critics Circle Award for Actress of the Year}}
{{Montecito Award}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Actress}}
{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress}}
{{San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress}}
{{Satellite Award Best Actress Motion Picture}}
{{ScreenActorsGuildAward FemaleLeadMotionPicture 1994–2000}}
}}

{{Venice Film Festival jury presidents}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bening, Annette}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century American actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses from San Diego]]
[[Category:Actresses from Topeka, Kansas]]
[[Category:Actresses from Wichita, Kansas]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:American Conservatory Theater alumni]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American Shakespearean actresses]]
[[Category:American stage actresses]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:Best Actress BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (film) winners]]
[[Category:Kansas Democrats]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners]]
[[Category:Patrick Henry High School (California) alumni]]
[[Category:San Francisco State University alumni]]
[[Category:San Diego Mesa College alumni]]