Annette Bening has dazzled audiences for decades, beginning on stage in the 80s, performing in productions based in San Diego, where she spent the latter part of her youth. After dabbling in Shakespeare, the actress debuted on Broadway in 1987, earning her first Tony Award nomination. Following this prestigious honor, Bening made her film debut in the John Candy and Dan Aykroyd vehicle, The Great Outdoors, proving she could hold her own next to two comedy giants.

Audiences wouldn't have to wait long to be properly introduced to Bening; she stole money, scenes, and hearts in her breakout role in The Grifters in 1990, earning the first of five Academy Award nominations in her illustrious career. Bening has worked in film, television, and the stage for the past 30+ years, earning another Oscar nomination in 2024 for her role in the biopic Nyad. Her commanding presence and distinct vocal timbre are singular qualities reserved for legends, and that's precisely what she is.

10 'Mars Attacks!' (1996)

Director: Tim Burton

In the vein of Ed Wood, Tim Burton's sci-fi spoof was catnip for fans of shows like Mystery Science Theater 3000 but a harder sell for audiences unfamiliar with the genre. Mars Attacks! featured a roster that probably made Robert Altman blush, boasting too many A-List stars to list. In the movie, the earth is invaded by aliens, who initially claim to 'come in peace,' but signals are crossed, and a massacre ensues. Those who weren't slaughtered by the space creatures were dismembered and reassembled in bizarre configurations akin to those found in the recent movie Poor Things.

Burton's space spoof is hilarious, though perhaps too far ahead of its time, considering Warner Bros. studios spent $100 million on production and profited approximately $1 million. However, all participating parties leaned into the process, and Bening was an essential piece in the ensemble. In the role of Barbara, Bening portrayed the free-spirited wife of a Nevada casino owner, Art Land (Jack Nicholson), and was savvy enough to emerge from the invasion unscathed. Discovering the alien's sole weakness (and immediate death) is worth the price to stream it, and fans of Bening would be remiss if they didn't include this gem in her greatest hits.

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9 'Bugsy' (1991)

Director: Barry Levinson

Bugsy is a gangster biopic based on the life of mobster Ben "Bugsy" Siegel (Warren Beatty) and his tumultuous affair with Hollywood starlet Virginia Hill (Bening). While visiting California, the New York City-based gangster meets and becomes entangled with Hill, though he has a wife and kids back east. The allure of an untapped gambling market in Nevada sets Siegel and lover Hill on a doomed path of greed and destruction, ultimately ending in tragedy.

Directly following her breakout performance in The Grifters, Bening stepped into the glamorous role of Hill, catching the eye of the infamous playboy, Beatty (the pair were married following the movie's release and have been together ever since). Bening's portrayal of the duplicitous vixen was crafted with mesmerizing seductive skill, just as Hill beguiled the real-life smitten Siegel. The movie was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and was considered a box-office success. Beatty and Bening would share the screen again in a remake of Love Affair in 1994, to the delight of audiences swept away by their chemistry in Bugsy.

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8 'Being Julia' (2004)

Director: Istvan Szabo

Set in 1930s London, the movie is centered around middle-aged stage actress Julia Lambert (Bening), who has become complacent in her career and desperate for change. Julia's husband, Michael (Jeremy Irons), the stage manager at the theater, introduces her to the young American who will become her lover, Tom Fennel (Shaun Evans). The affair with Tom results in a resurgence in Julia's spirit, reinvigorating her performances on stage. However, the time spent with Tom is short-lived, and Julia must compete with a younger actress for his affection.

While Bening was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Julia, critics were split regarding the film. Bening, no stranger to theater, was tremendous as the aging British stage actress; unfortunately, any scene without her seemed devoid of life. Rotten Tomatoes awarded the movie a score of 75% fresh, and Rolling Stone Magazine issued 2 out of 4 possible stars. For fans of Bening, it's a worthy watch. She plays the self-important Julia without total narcissism, inviting audiences to care instead of loathing her melodramatic existence.

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7 'Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool' (2017)

Director: Paul McGuigan

Based on the memoir by Peter Turner, the movie depicts his relationship with actress and Academy Award winner Gloria Grahame (Bening) during the 70s. Turner (Jamie Bell), significantly younger than Grahame, was captivated by the beautiful film star. While their age discrepancy was not a deterrent to Grahame and Turner, the couple weren't warmly welcomed by members of Grahame's family. The movie covers the period leading up to Grahame's death, resulting from cancer she had refused to treat with chemotherapy years before.

The movie was well-received by critics but ultimately lost $6 million at the box office, earning only $4 million worldwide. Irrespective of gains, the pairing of Bell and Bening was magnetic and believable. Their love story was revived through the careful vulnerability of Bell and the guarded pride executed by Bening. Audiences have prior access to the couple's final chapter, but Bening's performance transcends the written word, reintroducing Grahame in the process. The late actress would've applauded Bening's farewell to a star who had fallen too soon.

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6 '20th Century Women' (2016)

Director: Mike Mills

The coming-of-age drama is based on writer/director Mike Mills' childhood in 1970s California. At the movie's center is Bening as 15-year-old Jamie's (Lucas Jade Zumann) single mother, Dorthea. Sensing a disconnection, the middle-aged chain-smoking single mother enlists the help of her tenant, Abbie (Greta Gerwig), to tag team in-house connectivity. Meanwhile, to his teenage chagrin, Jamie's best friend and frequent platonic sleepover guest Julie (Elle Fanning) keeps him firmly in the friend zone. Ultimately, Dorthea learns through her wise young son that their relationship didn't require additional players, though they did provide texture for his upbringing and subsequent memoir.

Critics reviewed the film favorably, and Rotten Tomatoes agreed with a score of 88% fresh. In a house surrounded by opinionated, free-spirited women, Mills had an endless supply of content to offer the talented cast, notably Bening in the role of his mother. Gerwig and Fanning provided meatier support than garnish and more akin to integral side dishes in the feast of the formation and development of young Jamie. Though the movie sought to outline individual experiences and offer antidotal eccentricities of the ensemble, Bening's turn as Dorthea permeated every scene, whether she appeared in the scene or not.

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5 'The American President' (1995)

Director: Rob Reiner

The American President is a romantic drama with a political slant, featuring a highly decorated ensemble cast and a clever screenplay written by Aaron Sorkin. It revolves around the widowed, single-father President of the United States, Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas), as he attempts to date lobbyist Sydney Allen Wade (Bening). The pair's courtship proves precarious due to presidential approval ratings and Sydney's push for crime bill legislation during re-election. The White House is home to a dating president, and a bewildered Sydney navigates foreign terrain as relatively unknown to nationally famous overnight. Tense political drama and an unconventional love story made the film so appealing, it prompted the creation of the Sorkin-penned TV series, The West Wing.

Audiences were smitten by the undeniable chemistry between Bening and Douglas, and critics praised the pair for their multifaceted character work as romantic prospects with opposing interests. Rotten Tomatoes awarded the movie a score of 91%, and Siskel and Ebert gave it two thumbs up. Bening juggles the dichotomy of high-stakes political chess and new romantic love with the dizzying expertise audiences have come to expect from the gifted actress. For Bening fans, The American President remains a favorite.

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4 'Nyad' (2023)

Directors: Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

Nyad is a biographical sports drama that follows swimmer Diana Nyad's (Bening) epic quest to swim 110 miles from Cuba to Key West, Florida. Achieving the goal eluded the determined athlete for decades until a momentous victory following a 5th attempt at the age of 64. Nyad's journey was aided by the continued support of best friend Bonnie Stoll (Jodie Foster). Discouraged after a few failed attempts, Stoll, with the help of Nyad's crew, pushes Diana to realize the dream. The exciting and, often, incomprehensible lengths taken to achieve the goal are depicted by Bening in an incredible feat by a tenacious marathon swimmer.

The Netflix-distributed film celebrated two Academy Award nominations in 2024: the Best Actress nod for Bening and Best Supporting for Foster. Critics received the movie favorably, though several praised the work of Foster and Bening specifically, regarding the pair of screen veterans as buoys supporting an underdeveloped plot. Though the screenplay avoided personalizing Diana Nyad, Bening offered audiences a nuanced, vulnerable performance as an aging athlete who doesn't answer to conventional norms. The Oscar nomination for Nyad is Bening's fifth without a win, but she continues to get back in the water, and fans cheer her on.

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3 'The Kids Are All Right' (2010)

Director: Lisa Cholodenko

Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic Allgood (Bening) are parents to two children conceived through artificial insemination. Laser (Josh Hutcherson), their son, expresses interest in learning about his biological father and enlists his sister Joni (Mia Wasikowska) to help out of fear of upsetting their parents. The teenagers locate Laser's father, organic farmer and restaurateur Paul (Mark Ruffalo). Charmed by the charismatic donor, they attempt to meet again in secret, but the kids' motives are discovered by Nic and Jules, who invite Paul to dinner. The movie deftly addresses the ebb and flow of long-term relationships and inevitable discord resulting from breakdowns in communication, universal to all family units.

Lisa Cholodenko's honest storytelling and artful direction in The Kids Are All Right is a refreshing take on the reality of relationships, whatever form they take. Critics loved the movie, and Bening earned a Golden Globe for her heart-wrenching portrayal of Nic and a nomination for Best Actress at the Academy Awards in 2010. The film won a Golden Globe for Best Picture, garnering the same nomination at the Academy Awards, and was a box office success, grossing over $34 million worldwide. The film is destined to become a classic, and it's worth the rental price to witness Bening's impromptu rendition of Joni Mitchell's "All I Want" at the dinner table.

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2 'The Grifters' (1990)

Director: Stephen Frears

Based on Jim Thompson's 1963 novel, The Grifters is a crime thriller centered around the con artist trifecta featuring Anjelica Huston, John Cusack, and Bening. Lily (Huston) is a seasoned thief, having worked for a mob-affiliated bookie for years. Igniting a diabolical chain of events, Lily visits her estranged son, Roy (Cusack), a small-time crook based in Los Angeles, in the hospital after he sustains a work-related injury. Lily meets Roy's girlfriend, fellow grifter, Myra (Bening), and concerned for his safety, Lily pleads with Roy to "quit the grift," but he refuses. The trio of criminals proves there is no honor among thieves, culminating in a disastrous conclusion.

Originally slated to direct the picture, Martin Scorcese produced The Grifters, opting instead to direct his masterpiece, Goodfellas. The movie was a success among critics, with Roger Ebert granting it an enthusiastic 4/4 possible stars. At the 63rd Academy Awards, The Grifters was nominated for Best Director, Best Actress (Huston), and Best Supporting Actress (Bening). Ironically, upon meeting Bening, director Stephen Frears commented on the uncanny resemblance to actress Gloria Grahame, whom Bening would portray decades later. For an actress with few experiences in front of the camera, Bening's performance and Oscar nomination wasn't a grift -- she's the genuine article.

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1 'American Beauty' (1999)

Director: Sam Mendes

In American Beauty, Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is an unhappily married man amid a midlife crisis who becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter's (Thora Birch) best friend (Mena Suvari). Lester's wife, Carolyn (Bening), is a neurotic real-estate agent preoccupied with success and disinterested in her husband. The arrival of new neighbors, the Fitts family (Chris Cooper, Allison Janney, and Wes Bentley), became the source of enlightenment and ultimate demise for the Burnham household in the surprise hit of the 1999 awards season.

Dreamworks, along with writer Alan Ball, entrusted first-time filmmaker Sam Mendes with a movie Ball was unsure would be well-received. American Beauty's worldwide gross reached over $356 million against a modest $15 million budget, putting Ball's fears to rest. At the Academy Awards in 2000, the movie won four Oscars, including Best Picture. In addition to its accolades, the film became a popular topic for analysis among film professors and scholars. For Bening's career, the role of Carolyn Burnham became iconic, solidifying her status as a movie star while accumulating more fans eagerly anticipating her long overdue Oscar win.

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Next: Annette Bening and Sam Neill to Lead Thriller 'Apples Never Fall'