Warren Beatty's Real Name: Henry Warren Beaty

Quick answer: Warren Beatty was born Henry Warren Beaty on March 30, 1937, in Richmond, Virginia. Professionally he uses his middle name, Warren, and spells the surname with two t's. He is an actor, producer, director, and writer known for Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and Reds (1981), which won him the Academy Award for best director (Library of Congress; Britannica).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress name authority files him as "Beatty, Warren, 1937-" and lists "Beaty, Henry Warren" as a variant. Its citation notes read "born Henry Warren Beaty on March 30, 1937 in Richmond, Virginia" and, from a publisher's galley, "at birth named Henry Warren Beaty." The birth spelling has one "t." "Beatty" is the professional spelling.

Britannica says he is the younger brother of actress Shirley MacLaine. He played football in high school but cared more about theater. He spent a year at Northwestern University and then moved to New York to study with acting coach Stella Adler. He appeared on stage and, from 1957, on television, including a recurring role on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. He left that show to make his only Broadway appearance, in A Loss of Roses (1959).

Career highlights

His film debut opposite Natalie Wood in Elia Kazan's Splendor in the Grass (1961) made a strong impression. Several later films disappointed at the box office. He then produced and starred in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), playing Clyde Barrow. The Arthur Penn film became a landmark hit and earned 10 Oscar nominations, including best actor for Beatty.

He co-starred with Julie Christie in McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), led The Parallax View (1974), and co-wrote, produced, and starred in Shampoo (1975). For Heaven Can Wait (1978) he was nominated for Oscars in four categories: actor, picture, writing, and directing. He repeated that with Reds (1981), about American communist John Reed, which won him best director.

He directed and starred in Dick Tracy (1990). He starred in Bugsy (1991) and Love Affair (1994) with Annette Bening, whom he married in 1992. He co-wrote, directed, and starred in Bulworth (1998). Britannica counts Ishtar (1987) and Town & Country (2001) among Hollywood's costliest failures. He returned after 15 years with Rules Don't Apply (2016).

Name notes for searchers

His first name, Henry, is not used professionally. "Beaty" with one "t" is the birth spelling recorded by LOC. Search engines often mix "Beatty" and "Beaty," but both point to the same man. Britannica identifies actress Shirley MacLaine as his older sister.