View source for Warren Beatty

{{Use American English|date=November 2024}}
{{short description|American actor and filmmaker (born 1937)}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Warren Beatty
| image              = Warren Beatty.jpg
| caption            = Beatty in 2001
| birth_name         = Henry Warren Beaty
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1937|3|30}}
| birth_place        = [[Richmond, Virginia]], U.S.
| party               = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actor|filmmaker}}
| years_active       = 1956–present
| known_for          = [[Warren Beatty#Filmography|Full list]]
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Annette Bening]]|1992}}
| partner            = 
| alma_mater         = [[Northwestern University]]
| children           = 4, including [[Ella Beatty|Ella]]
| relatives          = {{plainlist|
*[[Shirley MacLaine]] (sister)
*[[Sachi Parker]] (niece)
}}
| awards             = [[List of awards and nominations received by Warren Beatty|Full list]]
| signature          = Warren Beatty Signature.png
}}

'''Henry Warren Beatty'''{{efn|group=nb|Beatty changed the original spelling ''Beaty'', pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|eɪ|t|i}} {{respell|BAY|tee}},<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/nls/other/sayhow/abcd.html#b|title=NLS: Say How, A-D|website=Lob.gov|access-date=February 3, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dictionary.infoplease.com/beatty|title=Beatty: meaning and definitions|website=Dictionary.infoplease.com|access-date=February 3, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,939844,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204220522/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,939844,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 4, 2011|title=New Faces: The Rise of Geyger Krocp|date=September 1, 1961|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=February 3, 2018}}</ref> in 1957. Both Warren Beatty and his sister, [[Shirley MacLaine]], have said they consider only this pronunciation correct, and Warren was fond of saying the name should rhyme with "weighty", not "Wheaties".<ref name="finstad">{{cite book |last=Finstad |first=Suzanne |title=Warren Beatty: A Private Man |publisher=Crown Publishing Group |year=2005 |isbn=9780307345295}}</ref><ref name="biskind">{{cite book |last=Biskind |first=Peter |title=Star: How Warren Beatty Seduced America |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |year=2010 |isbn=9780743246583}}</ref> But the pronunciation {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|iː|t|i}} {{respell|BEE|tee}} is so common that it is also or exclusively recorded in some reliable reference works.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.speech.cs.cmu.edu/cgi-bin/cmudict?in=warren%20beatty|title=The CMU Pronouncing Dictionary|website=Speech.cs.cmu.edu|access-date=February 3, 2018|archive-date=January 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116153844/http://www.speech.cs.cmu.edu/cgi-bin/cmudict?in=warren%20beatty|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Beatty,%20Warren|title=Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia|website=Encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com|access-date=February 3, 2018}}</ref>}} (né '''Beaty'''; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an [[Academy Award]] and three [[Golden Globe Awards]]. He also received the [[Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award|Irving G. Thalberg Award]] in 1999, the [[BAFTA Fellowship]] in 2002, the [[Kennedy Center Honors]] in 2004, the [[Cecil B. DeMille Award]] in 2007, and the [[AFI Life Achievement Award]] in 2008.<ref>[https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/warren-beatty-10-essential-films Warren Beatty: 10 essential films. "He helped usher in New Hollywood with Bonnie and Clyde, and became one of the key actors of that 1970s golden age of American cinema."] ''BFI Website'', March 27, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2021.</ref>

Beatty has been nominated for 14 Academy Awards, including four for [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]], four for [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], two for [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]], three for [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Original Screenplay]], and one for [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Adapted Screenplay]] – winning Best Director for ''[[Reds (film)|Reds]]'' (1981). He was nominated for his performances as [[Clyde Barrow]] in the [[crime drama]] ''[[Bonnie and Clyde (film)|Bonnie and Clyde]]'' (1967), a quarterback mistakenly taken to heaven in the [[sports film|sports]] [[fantasy film|fantasy drama]] ''[[Heaven Can Wait (1978 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]'' (1978), [[John Reed (journalist)|John Reed]] in the [[historical epic]] ''[[Reds (film)|Reds]]'' (1981), and [[Bugsy Siegel]] in the crime drama ''[[Bugsy]]'' (1991).

Beatty made his acting debut as a teenager in love in the [[Elia Kazan]] drama ''[[Splendor in the Grass]]'' (1961). He later acted in [[John Frankenheimer]]'s drama ''[[All Fall Down (1962 film)|All Fall Down]]'' (1962), [[Robert Altman]]'s [[revisionist western]] ''[[McCabe & Mrs. Miller]]'' (1971), [[Alan J. Pakula]]'s political thriller ''[[The Parallax View]]'' (1974), [[Hal Ashby]]'s comedy ''[[Shampoo (film)|Shampoo]]'' (1975), and [[Elaine May]]'s [[road movie]] ''[[Ishtar (film)|Ishtar]]'' (1987). He also directed and starred in the action crime film ''[[Dick Tracy (1990 film)|Dick Tracy]]'' (1990), the political satire ''[[Bulworth]]'' (1998), and the romance ''[[Rules Don't Apply]]'' (2016), all of which he also produced. 

On stage, Beatty made  his [[Broadway (theatre)|Broadway]] debut in the [[William Inge]] [[kitchen sink drama]] ''A Loss of Roses'' (1960) for which he was nominated for the [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play]].

==Early life and education==
Henry Warren Beaty was born on March 30, 1937, in [[Richmond, Virginia]]. His mother, Kathlyn Corinne (née MacLean), was a teacher from [[Nova Scotia]]. His father, Ira Owens Beaty, studied for a PhD in educational psychology and was a teacher and school administrator, in addition to working in real estate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 21, 1987 |title=Ira Beaty, 83, Father of Two Movie Stars |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1987/01/21/ira-beaty-83-father-of-two-movie-stars/ |access-date=June 20, 2024 |website=Sun Sentinel |language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-date=June 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620173050/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1987/01/21/ira-beaty-83-father-of-two-movie-stars/}}</ref> His grandparents were also teachers. The family was [[Baptist]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Warren Beatty profile |url=http://www.adherents.com/people/pb/Warren_Beatty.html |url-status=usurped |website=Adherents.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051119131419/http://adherents.com/people/pb/Warren_Beatty.html |archive-date=November 19, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Actor Warren Beatty gives public-policy graduates – and Gov. Schwarzenegger – some advice on power |url=https://newsarchive.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2005/05/21_beatty.shtml |website=berkeley.edu |publisher=[[University of California, Berkeley]] |date=May 21, 2005 |access-date=March 26, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-date=March 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301041903/https://newsarchive.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2005/05/21_beatty.shtml}}</ref> During Warren's childhood, Ira Beaty moved his family from Richmond to [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]] and then to [[Arlington County, Virginia|Arlington]] and [[Waverly, Virginia|Waverly]], then back to Arlington, eventually taking a position at Arlington's Thomas Jefferson Junior High School in 1945. During the 1950s the family resided in the [[Dominion Hills Historic District|Dominion Hills]] section of Arlington.<ref name=VAnom>{{cite web |last1=Trieschmann |first1=Laura |last2=Weishar |first2=Paul |last3=Stillner |first3=Anna |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Dominion Hills Historic District |url=http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/CPHD/ons/hp/file84027.pdf |url-status=dead |website=arlingtonva.us |publisher=Arlington, VA Departments & Offices |date=May 2011 |access-date=February 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819063241/http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/CPHD/ons/hp/file84027.pdf |archive-date=August 19, 2012}}</ref> Beatty's older sister is actress, dancer and writer [[Shirley MacLaine]] (who altered the phonetic spelling of her mother's maiden surname). His uncle by marriage was Canadian politician [[A.A. MacLeod]].

Beatty became interested in movies as a child, often accompanying his sister to theaters. One film that had an important early influence on him was ''[[The Philadelphia Story (film)|The Philadelphia Story]]'' (1940), which he saw when it was re-released in the 1950s. He noticed a strong resemblance between its star, [[Katharine Hepburn]], and his mother, in both appearance and personality, saying that they symbolized "perpetual integrity".<ref name="finstad"/> Another film that influenced him was ''[[Love Affair (1939 film)|Love Affair]]'' (1939), starring one of his favorite actors, [[Charles Boyer]]. He found it "deeply moving", and recalled that "[t]his is a movie I always wanted to make."<ref name="finstad"/> He [[Love Affair (1994 film)|remade ''Love Affair'']] in 1994, starring alongside his wife [[Annette Bening]] and Katharine Hepburn.

Among his favorite TV shows in the 1950s was the ''[[Texaco Star Theatre]]'', and he began to mimic one of its regular host comedians, [[Milton Berle]]. Beatty learned to do a "superb imitation of Berle and his routine", said a friend, and often used Berle-type humor at home. His sister's memories of her brother include seeing him reading books by [[Eugene O'Neill]] or singing along to [[Al Jolson]] records.<ref name="finstad"/> In ''[[Rules Don't Apply]]'' (2016), Beatty plays [[Howard Hughes]], who is shown talking about and singing Jolson songs while flying his plane.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://filmfreakcentral.net/2016/11/rules-dont-apply/ |title=Rules Don't Apply (review) |website=Film Freak Central |date=November 24, 2016 |last=Chaw|first=Walter|url-status=live|archive-date=January 7, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250107111811/https://filmfreakcentral.net/2016/11/rules-dont-apply/}}</ref>

MacLaine noted — on what made her brother want to become a filmmaker, sometimes writing, producing, directing and starring in his films: "That's why he's more comfortable behind the camera&nbsp;... He's in the total-control aspect. He has to have control over everything."<ref name="finstad"/> Beatty doesn't deny that need; in speaking about his earliest parts, he said "When I acted in films I used to come with suggestions about the script, the lighting, the wardrobe, and people used to say 'Waddya want, to produce the picture as well?' And I used to say that I supposed I did."<ref name=Garrett>{{cite news|last=Garrett|first=Gerald|title=(missing title)|work=[[The London Free Press|Free-Press London]] & [[Detroit Free Press]]|date=October 1, 1967|page=27}}</ref>

Beatty played [[American football|football]] at [[Washington-Lee High School]] in Arlington. Encouraged to act by the success of his sister, who established herself as a Hollywood star, he decided to work as a stagehand at the [[National Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|National Theatre]] in Washington, D.C. during the summer before his senior year. After graduation, he was reportedly offered ten college football scholarships, but turned them down to study liberal arts at [[Northwestern University]] (1954–55), where he joined the [[Sigma Chi]] fraternity. Beatty left college after his first year and moved to New York City to study acting under [[Stella Adler]] at the [[Stella Adler Studio of Acting]]. He often subsisted on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and worked odd jobs, including dishwasher, piano player, bricklayer's assistant, construction worker, and, relatively briefly, a [[sandhog]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/jan/23/features2|title=Warren Beatty: Rebel with a cause|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=January 23, 1999|last=Younge|first=Gary|url-status=live|archive-date=September 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923130745/https://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/jan/23/features2}}</ref>

==Career==
===1957–1969: Early roles and breakthrough ===
Beatty started his career making appearances on television shows such as ''[[Studio One (CBS series)|Studio One]]'' (1957), ''[[Kraft Television Theatre]]'' (1957), and ''[[Playhouse 90]]'' (1959). He was a semi-regular on ''[[The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis]]'' during its first season (1959–1960). His performance in [[William Inge]]'s ''A Loss of Roses'' on Broadway garnered him a 1960 [[Tony Award]] nomination for [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play|Best Featured Actor in a Play]] and a 1960 [[Theatre World Award]]. It was his sole appearance on Broadway.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibdb.com/Person/View/31401 |title=Warren Bestty Broadway Credits|website=[[Internet Broadway Database]] |access-date=November 26, 2015}}</ref> Beatty enlisted in the [[California Air National Guard]] in February 1960 but was discharged the following year due to a [[physical disability]].{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} He remained on [[Individual Ready Reserve|inactive duty]] after that time.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Beatty made his film debut in [[Elia Kazan]]'s ''[[Splendor in the Grass]]'' (1961) opposite [[Natalie Wood]]. The film was a major critical and box office success; Beatty was nominated for a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Golden Globe Award for Best Actor]] and received the award for [[Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor|New Star of the Year – Actor]].<ref name="Beatty Golden Globes">{{cite web |url=http://www.goldenglobes.com/Warren-beatty |title=Warren Beatty at the Golden Globes |website=goldenglobes.com |publisher=[[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]] |access-date=June 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150115020417/http://www.goldenglobes.com/Warren-beatty |archive-date=January 15, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The film was also nominated for two Oscars, winning one.

Author [[Peter Biskind]] points out that Kazan "was the first in a string of major directors Beatty sought out, mentors or father figures from whom he wanted to learn."<ref name="biskind"/> Years later during a [[Kennedy Center]] tribute to Kazan, Beatty told the audience that Kazan "had given him the most important break in his career."<ref name="biskind"/> Biskind adds that they "were wildly dissimilar—mentor vs. protegé, director vs. actor, immigrant outsider vs. native son. Kazan was armed with the confidence born of age and success, while Beatty was virtually aflame with the arrogance of youth."<ref name="biskind"/> Kazan recalls his impressions of Beatty:

{{blockquote|Warren—it was obvious the first time I saw him—wanted it all and wanted it his way. Why not? He had the energy, a very keen intelligence, and more ''chutzpah'' than any Jew I've ever known. Even more than me. Bright as they come, intrepid, and with that thing all women secretly respect: complete confidence in his sexual powers, confidence so great that he never had to advertise himself, even by hints.<ref name=Kazan>Kazan, Elia. ''Kazan on Directing'', Vintage Books (Jan. 2010) p. 603</ref>}}

{{quote box|align=right|width=25em|quote=Mr. Beatty's career has had all the hallmarks of the conventional Hollywood golden boy. Ingratiating good looks, disarming youthfulness, a delight in the social life and no apparently strong feelings about his craft. This image has now been strikingly shattered with his emergence as a vividly individual actor and as a highly imaginative producer in the gangster ballad, ''Bonnie and Clyde''&nbsp;... At 28 [''sic''], the image of Warren Beatty, fun-loving playboy, is dead. Warren Beatty, a man of the cinema, is born. |source=—Gerald Garrett, syndicated movie columnist<ref name=Garrett/>}}

Beatty followed his initial film with [[Tennessee Williams]]' ''[[The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone]]'' (1961), with [[Vivien Leigh]] and [[Lotte Lenya]], directed by [[Jose Quintero]]; ''[[All Fall Down (1962 film)|All Fall Down]]'' (1962), with [[Angela Lansbury]], [[Karl Malden]] and [[Eva Marie Saint]], directed by [[John Frankenheimer]]; ''[[Lilith (film)|Lilith]]'' (1963), with [[Jean Seberg]] and [[Peter Fonda]], directed by [[Robert Rossen]]; ''[[Promise Her Anything]]'' (1964), with [[Leslie Caron]], [[Bob Cummings]] and [[Keenan Wynn]], directed by [[Arthur Hiller]]; ''[[Mickey One]]'' (1965), with [[Alexandra Stewart]] and [[Hurd Hatfield]], directed by [[Arthur Penn]]; and ''[[Kaleidoscope (1966 film)|Kaleidoscope]]'' (1966), with [[Susannah York]] and [[Clive Revill]], directed by [[Jack Smight]]. In 1965, he formed a production company, Tatira, which he named for Kathlyn (whose nickname was "Tat") and Ira.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2010/07/08/beattys-tatira-productions-had-baltimore-roots/ |title=Beatty's 'Tatira Productions' had Baltimore roots |website=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |access-date=July 8, 2010 |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211194917/https://www.baltimoresun.com/2010/07/08/beattys-tatira-productions-had-baltimore-roots/ |archive-date=December 11, 2024}}</ref>

=== 1967–1977: Stardom and acclaim ===
[[File:Warren Beatty Photoplay, 1961.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|Beatty in 1961]]
At age 30, Beatty produced and acted in ''[[Bonnie and Clyde (film)|Bonnie and Clyde]]'', released in 1967. He assembled a team that included the writers [[Robert Benton]] and [[David Newman (filmmaker)|David Newman]], and the director [[Arthur Penn]]. Beatty selected most of the cast, including [[Faye Dunaway]], [[Gene Hackman]], [[Estelle Parsons]], [[Gene Wilder]] and [[Michael J. Pollard]]. Beatty also oversaw the script and spearheaded the delivery of the film. Beatty chose Gene Hackman because he had acted with him in ''Lilith'' in 1964 and felt he was a "great" actor.<ref name=LAT>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinetropic.com/bonnieandclyde/times97.html|title=Blasts From the Past|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 24, 1967|url-status=live|archive-date=December 23, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241223051748/https://www.cinetropic.com/bonnieandclyde/times97.html}}</ref> Upon completion of the film, he credited Hackman with giving the "most authentic performance in the movie, so textured and so moving", recalls Dunaway.<ref name=LAT/> Beatty had been so impressed by Gene Wilder after seeing him in a play, that he cast him without an audition for what became Wilder's screen debut. Beatty already knew Pollard: "Michael J. Pollard was one of my oldest friends", Beatty said. "I'd known him forever; I met him the day I got my first television show. We did a play together on Broadway."<ref name=LAT/>

''Bonnie and Clyde'' became a critical and commercial success, despite the early misgivings by studio head [[Jack L. Warner|Jack Warner]] who put up the production money. Before filming began, Warner said, "What does Warren Beatty think he's doing? How did he ever get us into this thing? This gangster stuff went out with [[James Cagney|Cagney]]."<ref name=LAT/> The film was nominated for ten [[Academy Awards]], including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]], and seven [[Golden Globe Award]]s, including Best Picture and Best Actor.<ref name="Beatty Golden Globes"/> Beatty was originally entitled to 40% of the film's profits but gave 10% to Penn, and his 30% share earned him more than US$6&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=August 8, 1968 |page=1 |title=Warren Beatty 'Bonnie' Share May Hit $6,300,000; He Gave Arthur Penn 10%}}</ref> After ''Bonnie and Clyde'', Beatty acted with [[Elizabeth Taylor]] in ''[[The_Only_Game_in_Town_(1970_film)|The Only Game in Town]]'' (1970), directed by George Stevens; ''[[McCabe & Mrs. Miller]]'' (1971), directed by [[Robert Altman]]; and ''[[$ (film)|Dollars]]'' (1971), directed by Richard Brooks.

In 1972, Beatty produced a series of [[benefit concert]]s to help with publicity and fundraising in the [[George McGovern 1972 presidential campaign]]. Beatty first put together [[Four for McGovern]] at [[The Forum (Inglewood, California)|The Forum]] in the Los Angeles area, convincing [[Barbra Streisand]], [[Carole King]] and [[James Taylor]] to perform. Streisand brought [[Quincy Jones]] and his Orchestra, and recorded the album ''[[Live Concert at the Forum]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2011/02/15/warren-beatty-sexes-up-george-mcgovern/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913154958/https://www.villagevoice.com/2011/02/15/warren-beatty-sexes-up-george-mcgovern/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 13, 2018 |last=Orth |first=Maureen |author-link=Maureen Orth |date=April 27, 1972 |title=Warren Beatty Sexes Up George McGovern |newspaper=The Village Voice |access-date=August 2, 2020}} Archival article introduced by Tony Ortega on February 15, 2011.</ref> Two weeks later, Beatty mounted another concert at the [[Cleveland Arena]], in which [[Joni Mitchell]] and [[Paul Simon]] joined James Taylor.<ref>{{cite news |title=Candidate's Day: McGovern Fund Gala Is Sold Out |date=April 29, 1972 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/04/29/archives/mcgovern-fund-concert-in-cleveland-is-sold-out.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420221638/https://www.nytimes.com/1972/04/29/archives/mcgovern-fund-concert-in-cleveland-is-sold-out.html |archive-date=April 20, 2021}}</ref> In June 1972, Beatty produced [[Together for McGovern]] at [[Madison Square Garden]], reuniting [[Simon and Garfunkel]], [[Nichols and May]], and [[Peter, Paul and Mary]], and featuring [[Dionne Warwick]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/06/15/archives/rock-n-rhetoric-rally-in-the-garden-aids-mcgovern.html |last=Phillips |first=McCandlish |author-link=McCandlish Phillips |date=June 15, 1972 |title=Rock 'n' Rhetoric Rally in the Garden Aids McGovern |newspaper=The New York Times |url-status=live|archive-date=August 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805081147/https://www.nytimes.com/1972/06/15/archives/rock-n-rhetoric-rally-in-the-garden-aids-mcgovern.html}}</ref> With these productions, campaign manager [[Gary Hart]] said that Beatty had "invented the political concert".<ref name="finstad"/> He had mobilized Hollywood celebrities for a political cause on a scale previously unseen, creating a new power dynamic.<ref name="biskind"/>

Beatty appeared in the films ''[[The Parallax View]]'' (1974), directed by [[Alan Pakula]]; and ''[[The Fortune]]'' (1975), directed by [[Mike Nichols]]. Taking greater control, Beatty produced, co-wrote and acted in ''[[Shampoo (film)|Shampoo]]'' (1975), directed by [[Hal Ashby]], which was nominated for four Academy Awards, including [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]], as well as five Golden Globe Awards, including [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Motion Picture]] and Best Actor.

=== 1978–1999: Directorial debut and expansion === 
In 1978, Beatty directed, produced, wrote and acted in ''[[Heaven Can Wait (1978 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]'' (1978) (sharing co-directing credit with [[Buck Henry]]). The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, Actor, and Adapted Screenplay. It also won three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture and Best Actor.

{{quote box|width=25em|quote=A film [''Reds''] of this scope and size demands incredible work from the director, and when you consider that Beatty also served as producer, writer and star, it's hard to believe so much work could come from one man. As a film, it's a marvelous view of America in the 1912–19 era, and Beatty brought some superior performances from a large cast.|source=—Joe Pollack, syndicated columnist<ref>''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'', March 28, 1982, p. 121</ref>}}

Beatty's next film was ''[[Reds (film)|Reds]]'' (1981), a historical epic about American Communist journalist [[John Reed (journalist)|John Reed]] who observed the Russian [[October Revolution]] – a project Beatty had begun researching and filming for as far back as 1970. It was a critical and commercial success, despite being an American film about an American Communist, made and released at the height of the Cold War. It received 12 Academy Award nominations – including four for Beatty (for Best Picture, Director, Actor, and Original Screenplay), winning three. Beatty won for Best Director, [[Maureen Stapleton]] won for Best Supporting Actress (playing anarchist [[Emma Goldman]]), and [[Vittorio Storaro]] won for Best Cinematography.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1982|title=The 54th Academy Awards (1982) Nominees and Winners|website=Oscars.org|access-date=October 8, 2011}}</ref> The film received seven Golden Globe nominations, including Best Motion Picture, Director, Actor and Screenplay. Beatty won the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director]].

Following ''Reds'', Beatty did not appear in a film for five years until 1987's ''[[Ishtar (film)|Ishtar]]'', written and directed by [[Elaine May]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/02/ishtar-excerpt-201002|title=Madness in Morocco: The Road to Ishtar|work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|first=Peter|last=Biskind|date=January 7, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801134910/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/02/ishtar-excerpt-201002|archive-date=August 1, 2024}}</ref> Following severe criticism in press reviews by the new British studio chief [[David Puttnam]] just prior to its release, the film received mixed reviews and was unimpressive commercially.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=ishtar.htm|title=Ishtar (1987) – Box Office Mojo|website=Boxofficemojo.com|access-date=February 3, 2018}}</ref> Puttnam attacked several other over-budget American films greenlighted by his predecessor and was fired shortly thereafter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20097589,00.html|title=He Rode into Hollywood on a Chariot of Fire, but David Puttnam's Job at Columbia Went Up in Smoke|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|first=Margot|last=Dougherty|date=November 16, 1987|access-date=December 10, 2015|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090931/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20097589,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Warren Beatty cropped.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|Beatty at the [[62nd Academy Awards]] (1990)]]

Under his second production company, Mulholland Productions,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buzzfile.com/business/Mulholland-Productions-Inc-310-873-3400|title=Mulholland Productions Inc|website=Buzzfile}}</ref> Beatty produced, directed and played the title role of [[comic strip]]-based detective [[Dick Tracy]] in the 1990 [[Dick Tracy (1990 film)|film of the same name]]. The film received positive reviews and was one of the highest-grossing films of the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1990&p=.htm|title=1990 Yearly Box Office Results – Box Office Mojo|website=Boxofficemojo.com|access-date=February 3, 2018}}</ref> It received seven [[Academy Award]] nominations, winning three for [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]], [[Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling|Best Makeup]], and [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1991|title=The 63rd Academy Awards (1991) Nominees and Winners|website=Oscars.org|access-date=August 1, 2011}}</ref> It also received four [[Golden Globe Award]] nominations, including Best Motion Picture.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/film/23953 |title=Dick Tracy at the Golden Globes |website=goldenglobes.org|publisher=[[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]] |access-date=April 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011222307/http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/film/23953 |archive-date=October 11, 2008 }}</ref>

In 1991, he produced and starred as the real-life gangster [[Bugsy Siegel]] in the critically acclaimed and commercially successful film ''[[Bugsy]]'', directed by [[Barry Levinson]], which was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor; it later won two of the awards for Best Art Direction and [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/20/movies/bugsy-a-big-winner-in-oscar-nominations-rife-with-surprise.html |title=Bugsy a Big Winner In Oscar Nominations Rife With Surprise|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=Bernard|last=Weinraub|date=February 20, 1992|access-date=November 12, 2010|location=Beverly Hills, California|url-status=live|archive-date=February 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221000918/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/20/movies/bugsy-a-big-winner-in-oscar-nominations-rife-with-surprise.html|url-access=registration}}</ref> The film also received eight Golden Globe Award nominations, including Best Motion Picture and Best Actor, winning for Best Motion Picture. Beatty's next film, ''[[Love Affair (1994 film)|Love Affair]]'' (1994), directed by [[Glenn Gordon Caron]], received mixed reviews and was a commercial failure.

In 1998, he wrote, produced, directed and starred in the [[political satire]] ''[[Bulworth]]'', which was critically acclaimed and nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/37721/beatty-defending-bulworth|title=Beatty Defending "Bulworth"|website=[[E!|E! Online]]|first=Danielle|last=Frankel|date=February 12, 1999}}</ref> The film also received three Golden Globe Award nominations, for Best Motion Picture, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1998/12/18/golden-globe-categories/|title=Golden Globe Categories|work=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|date=December 18, 1998|access-date=December 10, 2015|archive-date=December 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222130416/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1998-12-18/news/9812180609_1_truman-show-saving-private-ryan-shakespeare-in-love|url-status=live}}</ref> Beatty has appeared briefly in numerous documentaries, including ''[[Madonna: Truth or Dare]]'' (1991) and ''[[One Bright Shining Moment: The Forgotten Summer of George McGovern]]'' (2005).

=== 2000–present ===
Following the poor box office performance of ''[[Town & Country (film)|Town & Country]]'' (2001), in which Beatty starred, he did not appear in or direct another film for 15 years. In May 2005, Beatty sued [[Tribune Media]], claiming he still maintained the rights to ''Dick Tracy''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/people/2005-05-17-beatty-sues_x.htm|title=Warren Beatty sues Tribune over Dick Tracy|work=[[USA Today]]|date=May 17, 2005|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227163444/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/people/2005-05-17-beatty-sues_x.htm|agency=Associated Press|location=Los Angeles}}</ref> On March 25, 2011, U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson ruled in Beatty's favor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/warren-beatty-wins-dick-tracy-171587/|title=Warren Beatty Wins Dick Tracy Lawsuit|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=March 25, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241111230614/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/warren-beatty-wins-dick-tracy-171587/|archive-date=November 11, 2024}}</ref>

{{quote box|align=right|title=''Rules Don't Apply'' (2016)|width=25em|quote=Who else is better equipped to understand the symbiosis between show business and politics and to assert that when a certain degree of wealth and power have been achieved, the ordinary rules of human behavior can be flouted?... Fools and idiots abound, but demonic, systemic evil does not. Mr. Beatty obviously loves Hollywood, which has been good to him.|source=—[[Stephen Holden]], ''The New York Times''<ref name=NYT>{{cite news |last=Holden |first=Stephen |date=November 22, 2016 |title=Review: 'Rules Don't Apply' Features Warren Beatty as Howard Hughes |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/movies/rules-dont-apply-review-warren-beatty.html |issn=0362-4331 |url-status=live|archive-date=May 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519135103/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/movies/rules-dont-apply-review-warren-beatty.html |url-access=registration}}</ref>}}

In 2010, Beatty directed and reprised his role as [[Dick Tracy]] in the 30-minute television special ''Dick Tracy Special'', which premiered on [[Turner Classic Movies|TCM]]. The [[metafiction]]al special features an interview with Tracy and film critic and historian [[Leonard Maltin]], the latter of whom discusses the history and creation of Tracy. Tracy talks about how he admired [[Ralph Byrd]] and [[Morgan Conway]] who portrayed him in several films, but says he didn't care much for Beatty's portrayal of him or [[Dick Tracy (1990 film)|his film]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/488308|title=Dick Tracy Special|website=Turner Classic Movies|publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|first=John M.|last=Miller|access-date=November 26, 2015}}</ref> The production of the special allowed Beatty to retain the rights to the character.<ref name=vanityspecial>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/02/warren-beattys-dick-tracy-battles-his-toughest-foe-copyright-lawyers|title=Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy Battles His Toughest Foe: Copyright Lawyers|magazine=Vanity Fair|last=Hoffman|first=Jordan|date=February 11, 2023|access-date=February 11, 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327034355/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/02/warren-beattys-dick-tracy-battles-his-toughest-foe-copyright-lawyers|archive-date=March 27, 2023}}</ref> At CinemaCon In April 2016, Beatty reiterated that he intends to make a ''Dick Tracy'' sequel.<ref name="Variety20160413">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/warren-beatty-dick-tracy-howard-hughes-movie-1201752997/|title=Warren Beatty Eyeing 'Dick Tracy' Sequel, Howard Hughes Movie Gets Release Date|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=James|last=Rainey|date=April 13, 2016|access-date=April 18, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823174125/https://variety.com/2016/film/news/warren-beatty-dick-tracy-howard-hughes-movie-1201752997/|archive-date=August 23, 2024}}</ref> In 2023, Beatty reprised the role of Tracy and played the character opposite himself in ''Dick Tracy Special: Tracy Zooms In'', a follow-up to the ''Dick Tracy Special'' that also aired on TCM. The 30-minute special, which mostly consists of a [[Zoom (software)|Zoom]] interview with [[Ben Mankiewicz]] and a returning Maltin in which Tracy criticizes aspects of the 1990 film adaptation to Beatty's face and suggests that a younger actor should take over the role of Tracy, concludes with Beatty and Tracy meeting in person and suggesting that Dick Tracy will return in the future.<ref name=vanityspecial/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/new-dick-tracy-movie-once-again-teased-by-warren-beatty-in-bizarre-fashion/|title=New Dick Tracy Movie Once Again Teased by Warren Beatty in Bizarre Fashion|website=Den of Geek|last=Cecchini|first=Mike|date=February 11, 2023|access-date=February 11, 2023}}</ref>

In the mid-1970s, Beatty signed a contract with [[Warner Bros.]] to star in, produce, write, and possibly direct a film about [[Howard Hughes]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.younghollywood.com/scene/warren-beatty-s-howard-hughes-biopic-40-years-in-the-making.html|title=Warren Beatty's Howard Hughes Biopic: 40 Years in the Making|website=[[Young Hollywood]]|first=Greg|last=McIver|access-date=March 11, 2015}}</ref> The project was put on hold when Beatty began ''[[Heaven Can Wait (1978 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]''. Initially, Beatty planned to film the life story of [[John Reed (journalist)|John Reed]] and Hughes back-to-back, but as he was getting deeper into the project, he eventually focused primarily on the Reed film ''[[Reds (film)|Reds]]''. In June 2011, it was reported that Beatty would produce, write, direct and star in a film about Hughes, focusing on an affair he had with a younger woman in the final years of his life.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/warren-beatty-returning-filmmaking-paramount-203419/|title=Warren Beatty Returning to Filmmaking With Paramount Project|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|first=Gregg|last=Kilday|date=June 20, 2011|access-date=February 26, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240914140149/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/warren-beatty-returning-filmmaking-paramount-203419/|archive-date=September 14, 2024}}</ref> During this period, Beatty interviewed actors to star in his ensemble cast. He met with [[Andrew Garfield]], [[Alec Baldwin]], [[Owen Wilson]], [[Justin Timberlake]], [[Shia LaBeouf]], [[Jack Nicholson]], [[Evan Rachel Wood]], [[Rooney Mara]], and [[Felicity Jones]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2011/06/warren-beatty-playing-howard-hughes-great-cast-circling-142269/|title=Warren Beatty Playing Howard Hughes, Great Cast Circling|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|first=Mike Jr.|last=Fleming|date=June 22, 2011|access-date=February 26, 2014}}</ref> The film would eventually be released under the title ''[[Rules Don't Apply]]'', a fictionalized true-life romantic comedy set in 1958 Hollywood and Las Vegas.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/S2N4CCMmy4s Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20160714135407/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2N4CCMmy4s&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2N4CCMmy4s|title=Rules Don't Apply Official Trailer 1 (2016) – Lily Collins Movie|last=Movieclips Trailers|date=July 14, 2016|website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Beatty wrote, co-produced, directed and starred alongside [[Alden Ehrenreich]] and [[Lily Collins]], with supporting cast including Baldwin, [[Annette Bening]], [[Matthew Broderick]], [[Candice Bergen]], [[Ed Harris]] and [[Martin Sheen]]. Some have said that Beatty's film was 40 years in the making.<ref name="Cieply">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/07/movies/if-warren-beatty-is-directing-shooting-can-wait-for-years.html|title=If Warren Beatty Is Directing, Shooting Can Wait. For Years.|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=Michael|last=Cieply|date=March 6, 2015|access-date=May 2, 2015|location=Los Angeles, California|url-status=live|archive-date=September 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926101310/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/07/movies/if-warren-beatty-is-directing-shooting-can-wait-for-years.html|url-access=registration}}</ref> It was released on November 23, 2016, and was Beatty's first film in 15 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/07/warren-beatty-rules-dont-apply-first-look-trailer-1201786405/|title='Rules Don't Apply' Trailer: First Look At Warren Beatty's Star-Studded Film|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Anita|last=Busch|date=July 14, 2016|access-date=July 14, 2016}}</ref>{{efn|It began [[principal photography]] in February 2014 and wrapped in June of the same year.<ref name="Cieply"/>}} Rotten Tomatoes' "Top Critics" gave the film a 55% "Rotten" rating.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rules_dont_apply|title=Rules Don't Apply|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=February 3, 2018}}</ref> The film was also a commercial disappointment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=rulesdontapply.htm|title=Rules Don't Apply (2016)|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref>

In 2017, Beatty reunited with his ''Bonnie and Clyde'' co-star [[Faye Dunaway]] at the [[89th Academy Awards]], in celebration of the film's 50th anniversary. After being introduced by [[Jimmy Kimmel]], they walked out onto the stage to present the [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture Award]]. They had been given the wrong envelope, leading Dunaway to incorrectly announce ''[[La La Land (film)|La La Land]]'' as Best Picture, instead of the actual winner, ''[[Moonlight (2016 film)|Moonlight]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Donnelly |first=Jim |title=MOONLIGHT Wins Best Picture After 2017 Oscars Envelope Mishap |work=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |date=February 26, 2017 |url=http://oscar.go.com/news/winners/after-oscars-2017-mishap-moonlight-wins-best-picture |access-date=February 27, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Konerman |first=Jennifer |title=Oscars Shocker: Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway Read Wrong Best Picture Winner |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=February 26, 2017 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/warren-beatty-faye-dunaway-stage-bonnie-clyde-reunion-oscars-2017-980193/ |access-date=February 27, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916001114/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/warren-beatty-faye-dunaway-stage-bonnie-clyde-reunion-oscars-2017-980193/ |archive-date=September 16, 2024}}</ref> This became a social media sensation, trending all over the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/oscars-best-picture-snafu-social-facebook-twitter-1201997787/|title=Oscars: Best-Picture Snafu Was Top Social-Media Moment of Night (Of Course)|last=Spangler|first=Todd|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=February 27, 2017|access-date=July 23, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909143206/https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/oscars-best-picture-snafu-social-facebook-twitter-1201997787/|archive-date=September 9, 2024}}</ref> In 2018, Beatty and Dunaway returned to present Best Picture at the [[90th Academy Awards]], earning a standing ovation upon their entrance, making jokes about the previous year's flub. Without incident, Beatty announced ''[[The Shape of Water]]'' as the winner.<ref>{{cite news |last=McKenzie |first=Joi-Marie |title=Oscars 2018: Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty present best picture winner one year after snafu|url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/oscars-2018-faye-dunaway-warren-beatty-present-best/story?id=53504578 |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=March 5, 2018 |access-date=March 5, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241201210821/https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/oscars-2018-faye-dunaway-warren-beatty-present-best/story?id=53504578 |archive-date=December 1, 2024}}</ref>

==Personal life==
=== Marriage and relationships ===
[[File:Nancy Reagan with Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton.jpg|thumb|Beatty in 1981, with [[Diane Keaton]] and First Lady [[Nancy Reagan]] at a White House screening of ''[[Reds (film)|Reds]]'']]
Beatty has been married to actress [[Annette Bening]] since 1992. They have four children, including actress [[Ella Beatty]].<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=July 25, 2024}}</ref>

Prior to marrying Bening, Beatty was notorious for his large number of romantic relationships that received generous media coverage, having been linked to over 100 female celebrities. [[Cher]] stated that "Warren has probably been with everybody I know."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Sessums |first=Kevin |title=Cher: Star-Studded |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/1990/11/cher-199011 |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=November 1, 1990 |access-date=March 26, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241224211547/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/1990/11/cher-199011 |archive-date=December 24, 2024}}</ref> [[Leslie Caron]] said "Warren always had girlfriends who resembled his sister [Shirley MacLaine]". She thought he was too self-centered, and refused his marriage proposals.<ref name="hattenstone20210621">{{cite news |last=Hattenstone |first=Simon |title='I am very shy. It's amazing I became a movie star': Leslie Caron at 90 on love, art and addiction |url=http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jun/21/i-am-very-shy-its-amazing-i-became-a-movie-star-leslie-caron-at-90-on-love-art-and-addiction |work=The Guardian |date=June 21, 2021 |access-date=June 22, 2021}}</ref> [[Carly Simon]] revealed in 2015 that the second verse of her 1972 song "[[You're So Vain]]" was about a previous romantic relationship with Beatty.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Carly Simon Says You're So Vain Second Verse Is About Warren Beatty |url=https://people.com/books/carly-simon-says-youre-so-vain-second-verse-is-about-warren-beatty/ |access-date=2025-08-29 |website=People.com |language=en}}</ref>

=== Activism ===
Beatty was a founding board member of the [[Center for National Policy]], a founding member of the [[Progressive Majority]], a member of the [[Council on Foreign Relations]], has served as the Campaign Chair for the Permanent Charities Committee, and has participated in the [[World Economic Forum]] at [[Davos, Switzerland]]. He served on the Board of Trustees at the [[Scripps Research Institute]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scripps.edu/newsandviews/e_20031117/board.html|title=Filmmaker Warren Beatty and Mervyn's Mervin Morris Join TSRI Board |website=scripps.edu|publisher=[[Scripps Research Institute]]|date=November 17, 2003}}</ref> and the Board of Directors of the [[Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation]]. He was named Honorary Chairman of the [[Stella Adler Studio of Acting]] in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stellaadler.com/brochure.pdf|title=Stella Adler Brochure|website=stellaadler.com|publisher=[[Stella Adler Studio of Acting]]|access-date=November 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222142729/http://www.stellaadler.com/brochure.pdf|archive-date=December 22, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Director and collaborator [[Arthur Penn]] described Beatty as "the perfect producer", adding, "He makes everyone demand the best of themselves. Warren stays with a picture through editing, mixing, and scoring. He plain works harder than anyone else I have ever seen."<ref name=Hunter>Hunter, Allan. ''Faye Dunaway'', N.Y.: St. Martin's Press (1986) p. 41</ref>

===Political views===
Beatty is a longtime supporter of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. In 1972, he was part of the "inner circle" of Senator [[George McGovern presidential campaign, 1972|George McGovern's presidential campaign]]. He traveled extensively and was instrumental in organizing fundraising.<ref>{{cite book|last=McGovern|first=George S.|title=Grassroots: The Autobiography of George McGovern|url=https://archive.org/details/grassrootsautobi00mcgo|url-access=registration|location=New York|publisher=Random House|year=1977|pages=[https://archive.org/details/grassrootsautobi00mcgo/page/172 172]–173, 178|isbn=978-0-394-41941-1}}</ref> Despite differences in politics, Beatty was also a friend of Republican Senator [[John McCain]], with whom he agreed on the need for campaign finance reform. He was chosen by McCain to be one of the pallbearers at the senator's funeral in 2018.<ref>{{cite news|last=Zurcher|first=Anthony|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45363080|title=Why McCain picked these 15 pallbearers|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=September 1, 2018|date=August 31, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410122809/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-45363080|archive-date=April 10, 2023}}</ref>

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
!width=65| Director
!width=65| Producer
!width=65| Writer
|-
| 1967
| ''[[Bonnie and Clyde (film)|Bonnie and Clyde]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 1975
| ''[[Shampoo (film)|Shampoo]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Heaven Can Wait (1978 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]''
| {{yes}}{{efn|Co-directed with [[Buck Henry]]}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 1981
| ''[[Reds (film)|Reds]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 1987
| ''[[Ishtar (film)|Ishtar]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Dick Tracy (1990 film)|Dick Tracy]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 1991
| ''[[Bugsy]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Love Affair (1994 film)|Love Affair]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Bulworth]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 2016
| ''[[Rules Don't Apply]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|}

''' Acting roles '''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
|-
| rowspan="2"|1961
| ''[[Splendor in the Grass]]''
| Bud Stamper
|-
| ''[[The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone]]''
| Paolo di Leo
|-
| 1962
| ''[[All Fall Down (1962 film)|All Fall Down]]''
| Berry-Berry Willart
|-
| 1964
| ''[[Lilith (film)|Lilith]]''
| Vincent Bruce
|-
| rowspan="2"|1965
| ''[[Mickey One]]''
| Mickey One
|-
| ''[[Promise Her Anything]]''
| Harley Rummell
|-
| 1966
| ''[[Kaleidoscope (1966 film)|Kaleidoscope]]''
| Barney Lincoln
|-
| 1967
| ''[[Bonnie and Clyde (film)|Bonnie and Clyde]]''
| [[Clyde Barrow]]
|-
| 1970
| ''[[The Only Game in Town (1970 film)|The Only Game in Town]]''
| Joe Grady
|-
| rowspan="2"|1971
| ''[[McCabe & Mrs. Miller]]''
| John McCabe
|-
| ''[[Dollars (film)|Dollars]]''
| Joe Collins
|-
| 1974
| ''[[The Parallax View]]''
| Joseph Frady
|-
| rowspan="2"|1975
| ''[[Shampoo (film)|Shampoo]]''
| George Roundy
|-
| ''[[The Fortune]]''
| Nicky Wilson
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Heaven Can Wait (1978 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]''
|Joe Pendleton
|-
| 1981
| ''[[Reds (film)|Reds]]''
| [[John Reed (journalist)|John Reed]]
|-
| 1987
| ''[[Ishtar (film)|Ishtar]]''
| Lyle Rogers
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Dick Tracy (1990 film)|Dick Tracy]]''
| [[Dick Tracy (character)|Dick Tracy]]
|-
| 1991
| ''[[Bugsy]]''
| [[Bugsy Siegel]]
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Love Affair (1994 film)|Love Affair]]''
| Mike Gambril
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Bulworth]]''
| Sen. Jay Billington Bulworth
|-
| 2001
| ''[[Town & Country (film)|Town & Country]]''
| Porter Stoddard
|-
| 2016
| ''[[Rules Don't Apply]]''
| [[Howard Hughes]]
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
!width=65| Director
!width=65| Writer
! Notes
|-
| 2010
| ''[[Dick Tracy (1990 film)#Possible sequel and legal issues|Dick Tracy Special]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|rowspan=2|Co-directed with Chris Merrill
|-
| 2023
| ''[[Dick Tracy (1990 film)#Possible sequel and legal issues|Dick Tracy Special: Tracy Zooms In]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|}

'''Acting roles'''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Episode(s)
|-
| rowspan=3 |1957
| ''[[Kraft Television Theater]]''
| Roy Nicholas
| "The Curly Headed Kid"
|-
| ''[[Westinghouse Studio One]]''
| 1st Card Player
| "The Night America Trembled"
|-
| ''[[Suspicion (American TV series)|Suspicion]]''
| rowspan="3" | Boy
| "Heartbeat"
|-
| rowspan=6 | 1959
| rowspan=2 | ''[[Look Up and Live]]''
| "The Square"
|-
| "The Family"
|-
| ''[[Playhouse 90]]''
|
| "Dark December"
|-
| rowspan=5 |''[[The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis]]''
| rowspan=5 | Milton Armitage
| "The Best Dressed Man"
|-
| "The Sweet Singer of Central High"
|-
| "Dobie Gillis, Boy Actor"
|-
| rowspan=3 |1960
| "The Smoke-Filled Room"
|-
| "The Fist Fighter"
|-
| ''[[Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond]]''|| Harry Grayson || "The Visitor"
|-
| 1998 || ''[[The Larry Sanders Show]]'' || Himself || "Flip"
|-
| 2010 || ''[[Dick Tracy (1990 film)#Possible sequel and legal issues|Dick Tracy Special]]''|| Dick Tracy ||rowspan=2|TV special
|-
| 2023 || ''[[Dick Tracy (1990 film)#Possible sequel and legal issues|Dick Tracy Special: Tracy Zooms In]]'' || Dick Tracy / Himself
|}

''' Theatre '''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Venue
! class="unsortable"| Ref.
|-
|1959 || ''A Loss of Roses'' || Kenny || [[Eugene O'Neill Theatre]], Broadway || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.playbill.com/production/a-loss-of-roses-eugene-oneill-theatre-vault-0000004746|title= A Loss of Roses|website= [[Playbill]].com|access-date= May 9, 2020}}</ref>
|-
|}

== Awards and nominations ==
{{main|List of awards and nominations received by Warren Beatty}}
[[File:Warren Beatty 01.jpg|thumb|Beatty at the [[47th Venice International Film Festival]] in 1990]]

<!--Table is for nominations & wins received only by films directed by Beatty. DO NOT INCLUDE MOVIES THAT WERE ONLY PRODUCED BY HIM & WEREN'T DIRECTED BY HIM-->
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Year
! rowspan="2" | Title
! colspan="2" width=160 style="text-align:center;"| Academy Awards
! colspan="2" width=160 style="text-align:center;"| BAFTA Awards
! colspan="2" width=160 style="text-align:center;"| Golden Globe Awards
|-
! Nominations
! Wins
! Nominations
! Wins
! Nominations
! Wins
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Heaven Can Wait (1978 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]''
|align=center|9
|align=center|1
|
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|3
|-
| 1981
| ''[[Reds (film)|Reds]]''
|align=center|12
|align=center|3
|align=center|6
|align=center|2
|align=center|7
|align=center|1
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Dick Tracy (1990 film)|Dick Tracy]]''
|align=center|7
|align=center|3
|align=center|7
|align=center|2
|align=center|4
|
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Bulworth]]''
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|align=center|3
|
|-
| 2016
| ''[[Rules Don't Apply]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!align=center|28
!align=center|7
!align=center|13
!align=center|4
!align=center|18
!align=center|4
|}

== Notes ==
{{notelist|30em}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Ellis Amburn, ''The Sexiest Man Alive: A Biography of Warren Beatty'', HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2002. {{ISBN|0-06-018566-X}}.
* Peter Biskind, ''Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-drugs-and-rock-'n'-roll Generation Saved Hollywood'', Simon & Schuster, New York, 1998. {{ISBN|0-684-80996-6}}.
* Suzanne Finstad, ''Warren Beatty: A Private Man'', Random House, New York, 2005. {{ISBN|1-4000-4606-8}}.
* [[Mark Harris (journalist)|Mark Harris]], ''Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of New Hollywood'', Penguin Press, New York, 2008. {{ISBN|978-1-59420-152-3}}.
* Suzanne Munshower, ''Warren Beatty: His Life, His Loves, His Work'', St. Martin's Press, New York, 1990. {{ISBN|0-8065-0670-9}}.
* [[Lawrence Quirk]], ''The Films of Warren Beatty'', Citadel Press, New Jersey, 1979. {{ISBN|0-8065-0670-9}}.
* Stephen J. Ross, "Hollywood Left and Right: How Movie Stars Shaped American Politics", Oxford Press, New York, 2011. {{ISBN|978-0-19-518172-2}}.
* Peter Swirski, "1990s That Dirty Word, Socialism: Warren Beatty's ''Bulworth''{{-"}}. ''Ars Americana Ars Politica''. Montreal, London: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2010. {{ISBN|978-0-7735-3766-8}}.
* David Thomson, ''Warren Beatty: A Life and Story'', Secker and Warburg, London, 1987. {{ISBN|0-436-52015-X}}.
* David Thomson, ''Warren Beatty and Desert Eyes'', Doubleday and Co., Inc., New York, 1987. {{ISBN|0-385-18707-6}}.

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|0000886}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* [http://www.texasarchive.org/library/index.php?title=The_Carolyn_Jackson_Collection%2C_no._13_-_Interview_with_Warren_Beatty The Carolyn Jackson Collection, no. 13 – Interview with Warren Beatty]{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}, from the Texas Archive of the Moving Image
* {{YouTube|TV1uA2iVpTg|AFI Tribute to Warren Beatty, 2008}}, with [[Elaine May]] speaking
* {{C-SPAN|55602}}

{{Warren Beatty}}
{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Warren Beatty|Awards for Warren Beatty]]
|list =
{{Academy Award for Best Director}}
{{AFI Life Achievement Award}}
{{BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award}}
{{BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards}}
{{Cecil B. DeMille Award}}
{{David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actor}}
{{Directors Guild of America Award Feature Film}}
{{Donostia Award}}
{{Golden Globe Award Best Actor Motion Picture Musical or Comedy}}
{{Golden Globe Award for Best Director}}
{{Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year Actor}}
{{Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement}}
{{Hasty Pudding Man of the Year}}
{{Kirk Douglas Award}}
{{Thalberg Award}}
{{Kennedy Center Honorees 2000s}}
{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Director}}
{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Actor}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Director}}
{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{Producers Guild of America Milestone Award}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Actor}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Writing}}
{{Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay}}
{{Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beatty, Warren}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American screenwriters]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American screenwriters]]
[[Category:AFI Life Achievement Award recipients]]
[[Category:Akira Kurosawa Award winners]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male screenwriters]]
[[Category:American people of Canadian descent]]
[[Category:BAFTA fellows]]
[[Category:Best Directing Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Director Golden Globe winners]]
[[Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners]]
[[Category:Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners]]
[[Category:David di Donatello winners]]
[[Category:Directors Guild of America Award winners]]
[[Category:Film directors from Virginia]]
[[Category:Film producers from Virginia]]
[[Category:Golden Globe Award–winning producers]]
[[Category:Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement recipients]]
[[Category:Kennedy Center honorees]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Male actors from Richmond, Virginia]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Richmond, Virginia]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Virginia]]
[[Category:New Star of the Year (Actor) Golden Globe winners]]
[[Category:Northwestern University School of Communication alumni]]
[[Category:Scripps Research]]
[[Category:Stella Adler Studio of Acting alumni]]
[[Category:United States Air Force airmen]]
[[Category:Virginia Democrats]]
[[Category:Washington-Liberty High School alumni]]
[[Category:Writers Guild of America Award winners]]