Before The Oscars: Annette Bening

How did this year’s Academy Award nominees begin their acting career? Find out in The Daily Actor’s “Before The Oscars” special feature.

Annette Bening

Nominated for “Best Actress In A Leading Role”

Film: The Kids Are Alright

Role: Nic, a successful doctor who has raised two children with her female partner and must confront the problems that arise when they seek out their biological father.

How she got started: Annette Bening started acting when she was in junior high and landed a lead role in The Sound of Music. She continued to study theater at Patrick Henry High and Mesa College (both in San Diego) then graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in theater arts. She made her theater debut in an Off Broadway play with Tim Daly at Second Stage Theatre called Coastal Disturbances (for which she received Tony Award nomination).  Shortly after, she starred made-for-TV movie Manhunt for Claude Dallas. In 1988, she made her big screen debut in the hit comedy The Great Outdoors with Dan Akroyd and John Candy.

Other notable films: The Grifters (1990 Oscar Nomination), American Beauty (1999 Oscar Nomination), Mars Attacks!, The Seige, The American, and Being Julia (2004 Oscar Nomination).

The 83rd Academy Awards airs on February 27 at 8pm. For a list of nominees, click here.

15 Backstage Speeches from Golden Globe Winners: Al Pacino, Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Chris Colfer and more!

What do the winners of a Golden Globe do after they’ve snagged their awards? They go backstage and talk to the press. Here are 15 award winners talking about their win, their roles, acting and more!

Check out Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, the cast of Glee and The Social Network and a ton of others after the jump!

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Winners of the 68th Golden Globe Awards: ‘The Social Network’, ‘Glee’, Paul Giamatti, Colin Firth, Annette Bening & Natalie Portman

Best Motion Picture Drama
The Social Network

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Best Director Motion Picture
David Fincher, The Social Network

Best Screenplay Motion Picture
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
The Kids Are All Right

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Paul Giamatti, Barney’s Version

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Christian Bale, The Fighter

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Actress Roundtable: The Leading Ladies

What do you get when you get Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, Amy Adams, Annette Bening, Helena Bonham Carter and Hilary Swank together in a room?

Some great stories, a little dish and great insight into the business.

The Hollywood Reporter gathered them all together for your viewing enjoyment.

There are 3 clips and at the end of the post is the whole conversation (1 hour long).

In this 1st clip, they’re asked how they balance work and family.

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Screenplay: The Kids Are All Right

Want the screenplay to The Kids Are All Right?

Sure you do!

Click here for the script

Director: Lisa Cholodenko

Cast: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson

An Agent admits he made a mistake

Author Cooper Lawrence writes in his new book, “The Cult of Celebrity,” that Julia Roberts search for an agent wasn’t all flowers and roses.

Agent Robert Attermann of Abrams Artists Agency says she came in for a meeting but his staff proclaimed the future star “too trailer park”and decided not to sign her.

She “came in years ago,” he says,  “and the commercial agent who met with her at the time said, ‘Nah, she’s too trailer park.’”

He goes on to say that “as a matter of fact, when we moved offices, we were going through old rejection files, and in there was Annette Bening, Robin Givens, Julia Roberts and a couple of others.”

The secret SAG meeting that didn't happen?

Nikki Finke rocks. If you don’t read her site you are missing out.

That being said, there is a story going around about a “secret” SAG meeting last month. This supposed meeting in the back room of an Italian restaurant had high-powered film stars (Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Nick Nolte, Annette Bening) being asked by SAG higher-ups whether we should strike or not. The vote came in for a strike to happen.

Problem is: The scene never happened.

Read about here at DHD