Warren Beatty Calls Transgender Son A ‘Revolutionary’ A Decade After His Transition

Jan 19, 2023 by apost team

Warren Beatty is one of cinema's most enduring legends, finding fame not only as an actor but as a producer, writer and director as well. His longevity in the fickle film industry is a testament to his talent and skills, as well as his overall charisma. For almost 60 years, Beatty has been a showbiz stalwart, dazzling viewers with his sparkling baby blues at the start of his career in the 1960s to his most recent work as the director of 2018's "Rules Don't Apply." No matter what projects Beatty throws his hat into, you can be sure he always brings his A-game.

Beatty had quite a fortunate start in Hollywood, making his feature film debut in renowned director Elia Kazan's "Splendor In The Grass." The 1961 film, which also starred iconic actress Natalie Wood, was a commercial success, earning Beatty not just the industry's full attention but his first Golden Globe award nomination, too. After acting in a few more films in the early 1960s, Beatty turned to work behind the camera as well. He produced his first film, "Bonnie and Clyde," in 1967. The film was a phenomenal success, with many attributing its release as among the films ringing in the dawn of a "New Hollywood" of filmmakers who were unafraid to challenge cinematic taboos and embrace counterculture. The film's depiction of violence and intimacy paved the way for a shift in cinema, and nobody can forget Beatty's contribution to this.

Beatty also starred in some of Hollywood's most memorable movies, including "McCabe & Mrs. Miller," "Shampoo," "Heaven Can Wait," "Reds," "Dick Tracy," "Bulworth" and "Town & Country." But it was "Bugsy" that would change the course of Beatty's life forever. 

"Bugsy" was where Beatty would first meet his eventual wife, actress Annette Bening. At the time, Beatty had garnered a reputation as something of a Lothario and had been linked to a series of beauties, including Brigitte Bardot, Cher, Isabelle Adjani, Joan Collins, Britt Eklund, Goldie Hawn, Elle Macpherson, Diane Keaton, Julie Christie, Diana Ross and Barbra Streisand. He was even one of the last people to see Marilyn Monroe alive. However, it was Bening who was able to tame the man and win his heart, and by 1992, the pair were married. The couple has four children – Stephen, Benjamin, Isabel and Ella.

"I got lucky," Beatty told GQ. "I mean, I met her and I thought, 'Oh, I think I see where this is going.'" He also told Today he knew fairly early on that Bening was the one, saying, "It didn't really surprise me. I always felt I wasn't trying to avoid marriage, I was trying to avoid divorce. I had no doubt when I met Annette that it was time to get married." 

With his Hollywood heydays behind him, Beatty turned his sights on embracing his proudest role in life as a family man. 

"I'm so much more interested in my wife and kids than anything else," he gushed to GQ. "I don't want to be mushy about it, but having four kids is definitely the best thing that has ever happened to me, and each kid is to me more fascinating than any five movies. You know, the DNA of it all kind of does get to me."

He reiterated the sentiment to Today, stressing: "The most important thing that's ever happened — the best thing that's ever happened to me — was Annette and having four kids."

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While Beatty is obviously very proud of all of his children, he holds his eldest in high regard for the challenges he has faced. Stephen was born in 1992 and was assigned female at birth, named by his parents as Kathryn. However, by his 14th birthday, it was clear to him that the gender he best identified with was male. Transitioning can be a tough and arduous process, but for Stephen, it's a decision both his parents have come to not only accept but embrace wholeheartedly.

Stephen, who is a writer, poet, performer, filmmaker and activist for the transgender community, described himself as "a gay trans man for whom both identities are important" on his blog. He has also been vocal about his support for the transgender community, at one point holding Chaz Bono, the transgender son of Cher, to account for making allegedly transphobic remarks. Stephen called Bono "a misogynist who does not represent us," after the "Dancing With The Stars" contestant claimed transgenderism was akin to "a birth defect, like a cleft palate." 

"I don't want any rich white trans guy… telling the media that testosterone made him a misogynist… he has some deep-seated misogyny to work through," Stephen said.

Bening told AARP in a 2019 interview that she couldn't be prouder of Stephen, saying:

"He's managed something that's very challenging with great style and great intelligence. He's an articulate, thoughtful person, and I'm very, very proud of him."

Her sentiments were echoed by her partner Beatty, who spoke highly of his son; Beatty told Vanity Fair he, too, saw his son as an exemplary individual, saying:

"He's a revolutionary, a genius, and my hero, as are all my children."

How do you feel about Warren Beatty's transformation from Hollywood Lothario to a family man? What are your favorite films of his? Let us know, and don't forget to pass this along to family and friends, too.