Annette Bening

Annette Bening

Acting • Born 1958-05-29

Acting3Topeka, Kansas, USA

Biography

Annette Carol Bening (born May 29, 1958) is an American actress. With a career spanning over four decades, she is known for her versatile work across screen and stage. Bening has received numerous accolades, including a 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 the 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 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 (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) and Being Julia (2004), which respectively won her the BAFTA and 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 Miniseries or Movie. In the following decades, Bening received two additional Oscar nominations for her leading roles as a lesbian mother in The Kids Are All Right (2010) and swimmer Diana Nyad in the Netflix biographical 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 Best Actress in a Play. Her other roles during this period include the films 20th Century Women (2016), Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2017), Captain Marvel (2019), and Death on the Nile (2022), and the miniseries Apples Never Fall (2024). Description above from the Wikipedia article Annette Bening, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography

94 credits
American Beauty

American Beauty

Movie • 1999

Carolyn Burnham

Mars Attacks!

Mars Attacks!

Movie • 1996

Barbara Land

Open Range

Open Range

Movie • 2003

Sue Barlow

Bugsy

Bugsy

Movie • 1991

Virginia Hill

The Great Outdoors

The Great Outdoors

Movie • 1988

Kate Craig

What Planet Are You From?

What Planet Are You From?

Movie • 2000

Susan Anderson

Regarding Henry

Regarding Henry

Movie • 1991

Sarah Turner

A Night at the Academy Museum

A Night at the Academy Museum

Movie • 2021

Self

Postcards from the Edge

Postcards from the Edge

Movie • 1990

Evelyn Ames

Guilty by Suspicion

Guilty by Suspicion

Movie • 1991

Ruth Merrill

Running with Scissors

Running with Scissors

Movie • 2006

Deirdre Burroughs

Richard III

Richard III

Movie • 1995

Queen Elizabeth

The American President

The American President

Movie • 1995

Sydney Ellen Wade

The Siege

The Siege

Movie • 1998

Elise Kraft / Sharon Bridger

In Dreams

In Dreams

Movie • 1999

Claire Cooper

The Women

The Women

Movie • 2008

Sylvie Fowler

Mother and Child

Mother and Child

Movie • 2009

Karen

Behind the Lines

Behind the Lines

Movie

Narrator (voice)

Valmont

Valmont

Movie • 1989

Merteuil

Love Affair

Love Affair

Movie • 1994

Terry McKay

The Kids Are All Right

The Kids Are All Right

Movie • 2010

Nic

The Grifters

The Grifters

Movie • 1990

Myra Langtry

Being Julia

Being Julia

Movie • 2004

Julia Lambert

NYAD

NYAD

Movie • 2023

Diana Nyad

Girl Most Likely

Girl Most Likely

Movie • 2012

Zelda

Mrs. Harris

Mrs. Harris

Movie • 2006

Jean Harris

Ruby Sparks

Ruby Sparks

Movie • 2012

Gertrude

Ginger & Rosa

Ginger & Rosa

Movie • 2012

Bella

14 Women

14 Women

Movie • 2007

Narrator (voice)

The Face of Love

The Face of Love

Movie • 2013

Nikki Lostorm

Poolman

Poolman

Movie • 2024

Diane Espilnade

The Search

The Search

Movie • 2014

Helen

Danny Collins

Danny Collins

Movie • 2015

Mary Sinclair

And the Oscar Goes To...

And the Oscar Goes To...

Movie • 2014

Self - Interviewee

Rules Don't Apply

Rules Don't Apply

Movie • 2016

Lucy Mabrey

The Bride!

The Bride!

Movie • 2026

Dr. Cornelia Euphronius

The Seagull

The Seagull

Movie • 2018

Irina Arkadina

Beyond the 'Open Range'

Beyond the 'Open Range'

Movie • 2004

Self

20th Century Women

20th Century Women

Movie • 2016

Dorothea

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

Movie • 2017

Gloria Grahame

Manhunt for Claude Dallas

Manhunt for Claude Dallas

Movie • 1986

Ann Tillman

Life Itself

Life Itself

Movie • 2018

Dr. Cait Morris

Hostage

Hostage

Movie • 1988

Jill

Georgetown

Georgetown

Movie • 2019

Amanda Brecht

Who Needs Sleep?

Who Needs Sleep?

Movie • 2006

Self

Miloš Forman: What Doesn't Kill You…

Miloš Forman: What Doesn't Kill You…

Movie • 2009

Self

Hope Gap

Hope Gap

Movie • 2019

Grace

Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal

Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal

Movie • 2018

Self (archive footage)

PoliWood

PoliWood

Movie • 2009

Self

The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays

The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays

Movie • 2006

Holly Dancer (segment "Coastal Disturbances")

Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel

Movie • 2019

Supreme Intelligence / Dr. Wendy Lawson

The Report

The Report

Movie • 2019

Dianne Feinstein

Forever Hollywood

Forever Hollywood

Movie • 1999

Self

The Investigation: A Search for the Truth in Ten Acts

The Investigation: A Search for the Truth in Ten Acts

Movie • 2019

Narrator (voice)

Death on the Nile

Death on the Nile

Movie • 2022

Euphemia Bouc

American Beauty: Look Closer...

American Beauty: Look Closer...

Movie • 2000

Self

The Road to Damascus: The Reinvention of Bugsy Siegel

The Road to Damascus: The Reinvention of Bugsy Siegel

Movie • 2006

Self

Turn of Mind

Turn of Mind

Movie

Dr. Jennifer White

Jerry & Marge Go Large

Jerry & Marge Go Large

Movie • 2022

Marge Selbee

Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!

Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!

Movie • 1994

Self (archive footage)

Heightened Scrutiny

Heightened Scrutiny

Movie • 2025

Self

Sesame Street: Cookie Monster's Best Bites

Sesame Street: Cookie Monster's Best Bites

Movie • 2004

Self (archive footage)

The Directors: Milos Forman

The Directors: Milos Forman

Movie • 2000

Self

In Love

In Love

Movie

Rob Reiner – Scenes from a Life

Rob Reiner – Scenes from a Life

Movie • 2025

Self

The Sopranos

The Sopranos

TV • 1999

Annette Bening

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

TV • 2003

Self

The Daily Show

The Daily Show

TV • 1996

Self

Miami Vice

Miami Vice

TV • 1984

Vicky

Today

Today

TV • 1952

Self

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

TV • 1988

Self - Guest

The View

The View

TV • 1997

Self

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

TV • 1992

Self - Guest

The Early Show

The Early Show

TV • 1999

Self

Wiseguy

Wiseguy

TV • 1987

Karen Leland / Maloy

Liberty's Kids

Liberty's Kids

TV • 2002

Abigail Adams (voice)

The Oscars

The Oscars

TV • 1953

Self

Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live

TV • 1975

Self - Host

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

TV • 2014

Self - Guest

Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter

Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter

TV • 2023

Self

The Late Late Show with James Corden

The Late Late Show with James Corden

TV • 2015

Self

Spécial cinéma

Spécial cinéma

TV • 1974

Self

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Late Night with Seth Meyers

TV • 2014

Self

The Kelly Clarkson Show

The Kelly Clarkson Show

TV • 2019

Self - Guest

Stars in the House

Stars in the House

TV • 2020

Self

The Graham Norton Show

The Graham Norton Show

TV • 2007

Self - Guest

Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

TV • 2015

Self

Apples Never Fall

Apples Never Fall

TV • 2024

Joy Delaney

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

TV • 2014

Self

Lucky

Lucky

TV • 2026

Priscialla Matheson

The Dutton Ranch

The Dutton Ranch

TV • 2026

Beulah Jackson

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

TV • 2003

Self - Guest

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Late Night with Seth Meyers

TV • 2014

Self - Guest

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

TV • 2003

Self - Guest