Warren Beatty opens up about married life to Annette Bening and why he returned to the big screen

It doesn’t seem like Warren Beatty misses his old bachelor days. The legendary film star, who was quite the ladies' man before settling down with wife Annette Bening, opened up about his marriage during his debut appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

“It feels recent,” the 79-year-old said of his marriage. “It is the best thing that has ever occurred with me.”

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Photo: L. Cohen/WireImage

The Oscar winner and Annette tied the knot in 1992 after “43 years” of dating, the director joked. “I was not afraid of marriage. I was afraid of divorce,” he said. “I was right.”

Warren and his wife met on the set of their 1991 drama, Bugsy. The actor revealed that he and Annette were “professional” while shooting their movie, though after filming wrapped their decision to turn their relationship romantic was an “immediate” one.

Fast-forward 24 years later and the Hollywood stars are parents to four children — Stephen, 24, Benjamin, 22, Isabel, 19, and Ella, 16. With a growing family, Warren took a break from the silver screen, after appearing in the 2001 movie Town & Country. “Something happened called ‘living,’” the dad-of-four told Variety of his absence. “That’s what happened.”

Photo: Art Streiber for Variety

Now the actor is back and returning to the screen in his upcoming film Rules Don’t Apply, which he directed, produced and starred in. Annette admitted to Variety that she is grateful her children could witness their father’s work now that they are older. “They got to see his work ethic, his attention to detail, his tireless efforts in every way,” the actress said. “I wanted them to see that. Because he is one of the great ones, and I wanted them to see what that looks like, up close.”

Rules Don’t Apply opens in theaters November 23.

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