Annette Bening

Annette Bening, a prestigious actress, is known for her performances in films like The Grifters, Bugsy, American Beauty, and The Kids Are All Right.

Recognizing her passion for drama early on, Bening began her career on stage with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival company in 1980. She continued her studies in drama at a San Diego college, where she also worked as a dancer in The Green Show outside San Diego's Old Globe Theatre. This experience led to her participating in several plays with the San Diego Repertory Theatre. Following her move to San Francisco to attend San Francisco University, she gained acceptance to the American Conservatory Theatre, where she trained and later joined the acting company. Bening made her Broadway debut in 1987, winning the Clarence Derwent Award for Outstanding Debut Performance of the Season and earning a Tony Award nomination for her work in Tina Howe's "Coastal Disturbances."

Transitioning to the big screen, Bening made her film debut in The Great Outdoors in 1988. However, her breakthrough came with the critically acclaimed The Grifters, which earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination and a National Society of Film Critics Award.

After a three-year break from her acting career to start a family, Bening returned in Love Affair. She went on to demonstrate her comedic skills in The American President with Michael Douglas and portrayed Queen Elizabeth in Ian McKellen's adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard III. Bening's filmography is diverse, including hits like Mars Attacks!, The Siege, and In Dreams.

In 1999, Bening gave a stunning performance in American Beauty, garnering her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress. Following this, she continued to deliver compelling performances in films such as What Planet Are You From?, Being Julia --for which she won a Golden Globe--and The Kids Are All Right, which earned her critical acclaim and another Golden Globe Award.

Adding to her illustrious career, Bening joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2019, playing the roles of Supreme Intelligence and Mar-Vell / Wendy Lawson in Captain Marvel, which became her highest-grossing release. During the same year, she returned to the Broadway stage after a 32-year absence, starring in the revival of Arthur Miller's "All My Sons." Her most recent works include performances in Death on the Nile and Jerry and Marge Go Large. In 2023, she starred in the marathon swimmer Diana Nyad biopic Nyad, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture- Drama. Bening also received a nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Academy Awards for her work in Nyad.

Annette Bening has been showered with numerous accolades throughout her career, including a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. She has also received nominations for five Academy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards. In addition to her acting pursuits, Bening is a dedicated member of the acting community, serving as Vice Chair on the board of trustees for The Actors Fund.