Warren Beatty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Warren Beatty
Beatty in 2001
Born	Henry Warren Beaty (1937-03-30) March 30, 1937 (age 88) Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater	Northwestern University
Occupation	Actor filmmaker
Years active	1956–present
Known for	As director: Heaven Can Wait Reds Dick Tracy Bulworth Rules Don't Apply As an actor: Splendor in the Grass Bonnie and Clyde McCabe & Mrs. Miller Shampoo Bugsy
Spouse(s)	Annette Bening ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	4, including Ella
Relatives	Shirley MacLaine (sister) Sachi Parker (niece)
Awards	Full list
Signature

Henry Warren Beatty (born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. He was born Henry Warren Beaty, but he changed the spelling of his last name in 1957. His career has lasted for over sixty years.

He has won many important awards. These include an Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received special awards like the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1999 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2008.

Beatty has been nominated for 14 Academy Awards. He was nominated for Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. He won Best Director for his movie Reds (1981). Warren Beatty is the only person to be nominated for acting, directing, writing, and producing in the same movie. He did this twice! First for Heaven Can Wait and again for Reds.

Beatty first acted in the movie Splendor in the Grass (1961). He also starred in Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and Shampoo (1975). He also directed and starred in movies like Heaven Can Wait (1978), Reds (1981), and Dick Tracy (1990). He produced all these films too.

Early Life and Education

Henry Warren Beaty was born on March 30, 1937, in Richmond, Virginia. His mother, Kathlyn Corinne, was a teacher. His father, Ira Owens Beaty, was also a teacher and school administrator. Warren's grandparents were teachers too. His family was Baptist. During his childhood, his family moved several times in Virginia. His older sister is the famous actress, dancer, and writer Shirley MacLaine.

Warren became interested in movies when he was a child. He often went to theaters with his sister. One movie that really influenced him was The Philadelphia Story (1940). He saw it again in the 1950s. He felt the star, Katharine Hepburn, looked and acted like his mother. Another movie he loved was Love Affair (1939). He found it "deeply moving." He later remade Love Affair in 1994, starring with his wife Annette Bening and Katharine Hepburn.

His sister, Shirley MacLaine, said that Warren likes to be in control. This is why he often writes, produces, directs, and stars in his own films. Warren agreed, saying that when he acted, he always had suggestions for the script and costumes. People would ask if he wanted to produce the movie too, and he realized he did!

Beatty played football in high school. He was offered ten college football scholarships. But he chose to study liberal arts at Northwestern University instead. He left college after his first year. He moved to New York City to study acting. He worked many different jobs to support himself. These included dishwasher, piano player, and construction worker.

Career Highlights

Starting Out: 1950s and 1960s

Beatty began his career on TV shows like Studio One (1957). He also appeared on Broadway in A Loss of Roses (1960). This role earned him a Tony Award nomination.

His first movie was Splendor in the Grass (1961). He starred opposite Natalie Wood. The movie was a big success. Beatty was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. He also won the award for New Star of the Year.

Beatty in 1961

Beatty then made other films like The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961) and All Fall Down (1962). In 1965, he started his own production company called Tatira.

At age 29, Beatty produced and acted in Bonnie and Clyde, which came out in 1967. He chose the writers and the director, Arthur Penn. He also picked most of the actors, including Faye Dunaway and Gene Hackman. The movie was a huge success with critics and audiences. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards. Beatty earned a lot of money from the film's profits.

Making a Mark: 1970s and 1980s

After Bonnie and Clyde, Beatty acted in films like McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971).

In 1972, Beatty helped organize concerts to raise money for George McGovern's presidential campaign. He got famous singers like Barbra Streisand and James Taylor to perform. These events helped bring Hollywood celebrities into politics in a new way.

Beatty produced, co-wrote, and acted in Shampoo (1975). This movie was nominated for four Academy Awards. In 1978, he directed, produced, wrote, and acted in Heaven Can Wait. This film was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won three Golden Globe Awards.

Beatty's next big movie was Reds (1981). This was a historical movie about an American journalist who saw the Russian Revolution. Beatty had been working on this project since 1970. The movie was a big hit and won many awards. It received 12 Academy Award nominations. Beatty won the Oscar for Best Director. He also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director.

After Reds, Beatty did not appear in a movie for five years. His next film was Ishtar (1987), which did not do well.

New Roles: 1990s and 2000s

Beatty at the 62nd Academy Awards (1990)

In 1990, Beatty produced, directed, and starred as the detective Dick Tracy in the movie of the same name. The film was very popular and earned a lot of money. It won three Academy Awards.

In 1991, he produced and starred as the real-life gangster Bugsy Siegel in the movie Bugsy. This film was praised by critics and was a commercial success. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won two.

In 1998, Beatty wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the political comedy Bulworth. This movie was also well-received and nominated for an Academy Award. After a movie called Town & Country (2001), Beatty did not appear in or direct another film for 15 years.

Recent Work: 2010–Present

In 2010, Beatty directed and played Dick Tracy again in a TV special. This helped him keep the rights to the character. He has said he wants to make a Dick Tracy sequel. In 2023, he played Tracy again in another TV special.

Beatty had planned to make a movie about Howard Hughes for a long time. This project finally became the film Rules Don't Apply, released in 2016. Beatty wrote, co-produced, directed, and starred in this romantic comedy. It was his first movie in 15 years.

In 2017, Beatty and his Bonnie and Clyde co-star Faye Dunaway presented the Best Picture Award at the 89th Academy Awards. They were given the wrong envelope, and Dunaway accidentally announced the wrong winner. This became a big moment on social media. In 2018, they returned to present the award again and made jokes about the mistake.

Personal Life

Beatty has been married to actress Annette Bening since 1992. They have four children together, including actress Ella Beatty.

Before Marriage

Before he married Annette Bening, Warren Beatty dated many famous women.

Political Views

Beatty in 1981, with Diane Keaton and First Lady Nancy Reagan at a White House screening of Reds

Beatty has always supported the Democratic Party. In 1972, he was a key part of George McGovern's presidential campaign. He helped organize fundraising events. Even though they had different political views, Beatty was also good friends with Republican Senator John McCain. They both agreed on the need to improve how political campaigns are funded. Beatty was even a pallbearer at Senator McCain's funeral in 2018.

Filmography

Acting Credits

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and Honors

Beatty at the 47th Venice International Film Festival in 1990

Warren Beatty has received many awards and honors throughout his career.

Beatty has been a part of many important groups. He was a founding member of the Center for National Policy. He also served on the Board of Trustees at the Scripps Research Institute. He was named Honorary Chairman of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in 2004.

In 2004, he received the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C. This is a very high honor for artists. He also received the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award in 2008. In 2013, he was added to the California Hall of Fame.

He has also received many international awards. In 1992, France made him a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters. In 1998, he received a special Career Golden Lion award from the Venice Film Festival. In 2002, he received the British Academy Fellowship from BAFTA.

Unmade Projects

Warren Beatty has worked on many film ideas that were never finished.

• Untitled Dick Tracy sequel: Beatty has talked about making another Dick Tracy movie since the first one came out in 1990.
• Ocean of Storms: This was a love story about an aging astronaut. Annette Bening was set to co-star. The project was in development for many years but was never made.
• Bulworth 2000: This would have been a sequel to his 1998 film Bulworth. It would have continued the story and made fun of the 2000 U.S. presidential election.
• The Mermaid: Beatty was going to star in this love story about a sailboat racer and a mermaid. However, another movie called Splash came out first, so Beatty's project was canceled.
• Liberace: Beatty was interested in making a movie about the famous entertainer Liberace. It would have been based on a book about Liberace's life. This film was never made, but a TV movie about Liberace was made in 2013.

See also

In Spanish: Warren Beatty para niños