Ella Beatty might have grown up in the shadows of two cinematic legends, but she’s now making her own mark—and not just as the daughter of Warren Beatty and Annette Bening.
Over the weekend, she turned heads at the 2025 Tony Awards, not just because of her striking appearance, but because of the undeniable momentum building around her rising career.
While her parents built their names alongside stars like Madonna and Meg Ryan, Ella has carved out her own path, earning praise on Broadway and beyond.
And if her recent red carpet presence is anything to go by, she’s doing it with both grace and grit.
Following in Famous Footsteps—But on Her Own Terms
Ella, now 25, graduated from Juilliard in 2022, and since then, she’s been putting her acting chops to the test with impressive projects.
Despite her “nepo baby” status, she’s already worked with major industry names like Hugh Jackman, Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts, Demi Moore, and Rose Byrne—quite a resume for someone only a few years out of school.
Her father, Warren Beatty, has an illustrious film career with 14 Oscar nominations (and one win), while her mom, Annette Bening, is also an acclaimed stage and screen actress.
Still, Ella is intent on proving her own merit.
A Glamorous Tony Awards Moment
At the 78th Annual Tony Awards in New York City, Ella looked every bit the emerging star.
She wore chic black trousers paired with a halter-style knit top that featured sheer detailing.
Adding drama to the outfit, she slipped on opera-length black satin gloves, accessorizing simply with silver earrings and bracelets.
Her soft, side-parted waves framed her face, which was glowing with light blush and a peachy lip tint.
And while the glam was on point, Ella also made time for meaningful connections—sharing red carpet snaps with Sarah Paulson, her former co-star.
Stage Debuts and Screen Dreams
Ella first stepped onto the Broadway stage in Appropriate, filling in for Elle Fanning when she left the production.
That role not only introduced her to audiences but deepened her working relationship with Paulson.
In fact, Ella’s professional debut came with Ryan Murphy’s Feud: Capote vs.
The Swans (2024), where she played Kerry O’Shea, Truman Capote’s surrogate daughter.
The series was packed with big names like Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, and Tom Hollander.
She also played Regina Engstrand in the Off-Broadway production of Ghosts at NYC’s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater.
On the film side, she appeared in the A24 project If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival alongside Rose Byrne, Conan O’Brien, and A$AP Rocky.
Sharing the Stage with Hugh Jackman
Ella’s most recent role was in Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, where she starred opposite Hugh Jackman.
Speaking with Interview Magazine this month, she reflected on the experience:
“There is nobody less movie starry in the world than Hugh Jackman. He’s the most generous, loving, open, kind, hardworking person.”
She admitted to being nervous at first but said that by the first table read, the story took center stage. “It became about the play very quickly. We felt like we needed to do it.”
Gaining Respect on Her Own Merit
Sarah Paulson revealed she didn’t even know who Ella’s parents were when they first met. “Your name might not immediately click with young people today,” Paulson said, adding that if Ella went by Bening instead of Beatty, the connection might be more obvious. But she stressed that her admiration came solely from Ella’s talent.
“I was assessing you entirely on your own merit,” Paulson told her.
Lessons from Two Legendary Parents
In an earlier interview with The Bare Magazine, Ella talked about the values she’s picked up from her parents.
“I hope some of my parents’ extraordinary virtues have rubbed off on me,” she said.
“I certainly take notes from the way they show up in the world—with respect and empathy toward everybody.”
Her dad’s legacy includes classics like Splendor in the Grass, Bonnie and Clyde, Heaven Can Wait, and Bugsy.
Her mom, who began her career onstage, starred in films such as The Grifters, The American President, American Beauty, and Nyad.
Married since 1992, Warren and Annette have four children together—Ella being the youngest.
2025 Tony Awards: The Winners Circle
Alongside Ella’s buzzed-about appearance, this year’s Tony Awards celebrated a wide range of theater excellence.
Here’s a quick roundup of the major winners:
Best Musical
Winner: Maybe Happy Ending
Best Revival of a Play
Winner: Eureka Day by Jonathan Spector
Best Leading Actor in a Play
Winner: Cole Escola – Oh, Mary!
Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Best Featured Actor in a Play
Winner: Francis Jue – Yellow Face
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Winner: Jak Malone – Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Best Direction of a Play
Winner: Sam Pinkleton – Oh, Mary!
Best Book of a Musical
Winner: Maybe Happy Ending – Will Aronson and Hue Park
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Winner: Stranger Things: The First Shadow – Miriam Buether and 59
Best Costume Design of a Play
Winner: The Picture of Dorian Gray – Marg Horwell
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Winner: Stranger Things: The First Shadow – Jon Clark
Best Sound Design of a Play
Winner: Stranger Things: The First Shadow – Paul Arditti
Best Choreography
Winner: Buena Vista Social Club – Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck
Best Play
Winner: Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Best Revival of a Musical
Winner: Sunset Blvd.
Best Leading Actress in a Play
Winner: Sarah Snook – The Picture Of Dorian Gray
Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Winner: Nicole Scherzinger – Sunset Blvd.
Best Featured Actress in a Play
Winner: Kara Young – Purpose
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Winner: Natalie Venetia Belcon – Buena Vista Social Club
Best Original Score
Winner: Maybe Happy Ending – Will Aronson & Hue Park
Best Orchestrations
Winner: (Incomplete from source text)
Ella Beatty’s presence at this year’s Tonys wasn’t just a red carpet moment—it was another signal that this rising star is stepping confidently into her own spotlight.
With talent, humility, and powerhouse genes, she’s clearly just getting started.