Annette Bening

Like so many of her Hollywood peers, Annette Bening became interested in acting at a young age and had her first lead role while still in junior high school. With a theater and movie career so far spanning two decades and still going strong, her long-running career is a testament to her versatility and timeless talent. 

Annette Bening was born on May 29, 1958, in Topeka, Kansas . After her family moved to California in 1965, Annette spent her remaining school years on the small stage, playing the lead role in The Sound of Music in junior high and studying drama while attending Patrick Henry High School. She furthered her formal acting training at San Francisco State University where she completed a degree in theatre arts and subsequently performed with the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco . 

Her 1987 Broadway debut in Coastal Disturbances was well received, earning her a Tony nomination. Bening’s transition from Broadway to the big screen was not easy. After trying for five years to win roles, and appearing in the relatively ignored flick The Great Outdoors, she finally established herself as a major film talent in the 1990 film The Grifters, for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. 

Since this time, she has appeared in many well-known films including Bugsy, The Siege, American Beauty, and Being Julia. These projects would see her working with film greats Warren Beatty, Denzel Washington, and Bruce Willis. Bening was far from overshadowed by her famous co-stars, receiving two Academy Award nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role for both American Beauty and Being Julia. With an Emmy nomination for her work in the television flick Mrs. Harris, her talent on the small screen has also been recognized.