Even though Annette Bening and Warren Beatty‘s kids are all grown up, their parents are there for them no matter what! Now that their children — Stephen, Benjamin, Isabel and Ella — are off having their own adventures in life, Annette still dreams of the days when her young ones were still in diapers.

“I really miss them, quite frankly,” she exclusively told Closer Weekly at the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of Hope Gap in 2019. “I get that they’re adults, and they want to be off in their lives — I love that, and I’m really proud of them. I try to get them to text me as often as possible, which doesn’t always work.”

Even though Stephen, Isabel, Ella and Benjamin might be a little late texting their mom back, that doesn’t mean that they don’t love her. They’ve learned a lot about the entertainment industry by just watching their parents work.

“I feel really lucky that I’m able to pursue the work that I love, and I want my children to see that,” the mom of four explained about what she instilled in them. “I want them to have that for themselves, something that they love, that they do, that they pursue in their lives as a way of growing and learning.”

Working hard towards your goal is only one thing that Annette and Warren’s kids have learned from them. They were also taught about the importance of family and why it’s necessary to respect your loved ones.

“There’s love for your parents, your family, your spouse, your partner, your friends, but the nature of the connection you have with your children, there’s nothing like it,” Annette said. “It has its own character — it’s so serious and so powerful, and it’s a prism through which I see everything.”

It also helps that Warren and Annette are still in a loving marriage. “We just like to spend time together and talk,” the 20th Century Women star gushed. “And talk politics — a lot of politics.”

During a 2022 interview with People, Annette said that having a family “was something I always wanted to do, ever since I was a little kid, the minute I could start babysitting, like 12 or 13, I was the neighborhood babysitter. It just always felt natural to me. Nothing comes close.”

Stephen Beatty

Stephen Beatty wearing a gray tshirt and black vest
Stephen Beatty/Instagram

Stephen, born in January 1992, is Warren and Annette’s transgender son. He began transitioning at the age of 14 and Annette has admitted that she’s “very, very proud” of him for being so strong.

“He’s managed something that’s very challenging with great style and great intelligence,” she told AARP the magazine. “He’s an articulate, thoughtful person, and I’m very, very proud of him.”

In 2024, Annette admitted during an interview on The View that she worried about Stephen when he first made the decision to come out.

“At the beginning, I felt very protective of his privacy, because he’s the son of these two famous people,” the American Beauty star said. “So I felt very protective, and I felt it was his right to say what he wanted to say publicly, or not.”

She continued, “And now, as time has gone on — especially now with what’s happening, unfortunately, in the political process, [with how] trans people are being used — fear and ignorance is being stoked against trans people in the most frightening way. It’s so unfair.”

Benjamin Beatty

Benjamin Beatty wearing a red sweatshirt and blue tshirt next to Warren Beatty wearing sunglasses
Robyn Beck / Getty Images

In August 1994, Annette and Warren welcomed Benjamin into the world. Just like his parents, he’s an actor. Benjamin appeared in the 2016 film Hail, Caesar! and the 2018 movie UFO.

Isabel Beatty

Isabel Beatty in a teal dress next to Annette Bening in all black
Marc Piasecki / Getty Images

Isabel is her parents oldest daughter. She was born in January 1997 and, in 2018, appeared in the TV series Shoegazer Films: Shorts and Sketches. 

Ella Beatty

Ella Beatty in all black.
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images

Ella is the baby of the family. She was born in April 2000 and she loves her parents just as much as her siblings! Ella studied at Juilliard and graduated in May 2022, and her mom couldn’t help but gush about how proud she was of her youngest child.

“Sometimes it’s hard for me to let go and just remember, ‘Oh, that’s not my job anymore.’ I’m so proud of these adult children, who aren’t children, but they’re my kids,” Annette told People. “They’re all so different and they’re all out there discovering themselves and their voices. We think we’re there to teach them, and, of course, what we realize is that they teach us everything.”

In October 2022, Ella announced via Instagram that she had landed a role in Ryan Murphy’s Capote vs. The Swans, which premiered in January 2024. When the show debuted, Ella got a chance to brag about her mom and told People that Annette was an icon.