The actor started off in theater, where she first found her passion for the art of acting.
But in spite of all her successes, Bening has remained grounded throughout the years.
I was just as happy.
I was working just as hard.
Both of her parents were religious and politically conservative.
In San Diego, Annette attended Patrick Henry High School.
She graduated with her high school diploma in only three years.
In 2005, Annette toldSFSU Magazinethat she didn’t outright pursue acting.
“I didn’t choose it.
It chose me,” she said.
She also gained inspiration from field trips and professional plays in the San Diego area.
“I remember the sound of their voices, the whole ambiance.”
After graduating high school, Bening went to college to further her theatrical studies.
First, she attended San Diego Mesa College, where she studied drama.
“I had heard that State had a big, active drama department,” she told SFSU Magazine.
“So I had great, smart, wise and seasoned people to learn from.
I feel grateful that I had a chance to learn from veteran professionals.”
Before she graduated in 1980 (all honors!
), Bening starred in several plays at SFSU.
After their nuptials, they moved to Colorado.
She earned the nomination for her leading role in “Coastal Disturbances.”
Bening played Holly Dancer, a photographer who ends up in a love triangle, in a summertime story.
Her big break, however, came in 1990 when she starred in “The Grifters.”
In fact, her role landed her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 1991.
Bening and Beatty have been together ever since.
They welcomed their first child together in January 1992.
Since then, they’ve welcomed three more children together.
In some ways, Beatty was surprised at how quickly he fell for Bening, too.
“Maybe five.”
“It was started because I fell in love with him.
But I felt at peace with everything right from the start.”
In it, Bening played Carolyn Burnham, a perfectionist and materialistic suburban mom and real estate agent.
“And though we can’t smell their perfume, the film is utterly intoxicating.”
Nearly 25 years later, the film still boasts an 87% Rotten Tomatoes rating, too.
In 2004, Bening found herself wanting to spend more time with them.
“I couldn’t go from picture to picture,” she toldPeopleat the time.
A lot of them waited or never had a child.
Acting can be so very self-obsessed it can dominate a life."
Bening, however, has broken this mold.
Part of this has to do with her approach to her career, and life more generally.
She added, “I don’t consider it virtuous it’s just me.
One of them was to continue acting all my life.
Even in your 30s, there were those articles.
Now, when I hear people worrying about it at 50, I think: what?”
“So many people around the country worked so hard to get out the vote.
The LGBTQ community all over the country really got activated.
If there’s one thing that Trump did, he activated a lot of people.”
Since then, Bening has also been a strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
It is shameful."
During the event, Bening was also presented with an Advocate Award for her activism.
To prepare for her role as Nyad in the Netflix film, Bening often spent eight hours a dayswimming.
“I love it so much.”
However, Bening was previously no stranger to water.
I’ve been there and I’ve done that, and that’s also not so bad."
In March 2024, she can be seen starring in the Peacock series, “Apples Never Fall.”
In January, Bening received the honor from Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals.
The awards ceremony included her riding in a parade and receiving a coveted “pudding pot” trophy.
The often rowdy event also includes a roast of the recipient.
Taking the remarks in stride, Bening also had some of her own jokes up her sleeve.
According to theAssociated Press, she also thanked her kindergarten teacher.
