Hollywood dynasties, at this point, are a dime a dozen, with every celebrity scion making their way to the screen at some point. In the Golden Age of Hollywood, though, the level of prestige that came from being in the same illustrious family was especially heightened, even more so if you weren't the child of another famous star.
It's hard to come across Hollywood star siblings, though. Especially a pair of siblings who've achieved similar levels of soaring fame. Even more so siblings who've both also won competitive Academy Awards (only 20 pairs have done so).
And yet, count Warren Beatty as one of the stars with an equally famous sister…
© Getty ImagesWarren Beatty's career
Born in 1937 in Richmond, Virginia, Warren, now 89, was inspired to go into acting because of his older sister. He made his debut on TV in the late 1950s, and for his sole Broadway stint in a production of A Loss of Roses, he earned a Tony nomination in 1960.
His film debut in 1961's Splendor in the Grass proved to be his big break, and for the next six years, he acted in a number of films to build up the funds to start his own production company, Tatira. In 1967, he produced and starred in Bonnie & Clyde, which was a major critical and commercial success, earning him his first two Oscar nominations.
Warren's hot streak continued with 1971's McCabe & Mrs Miller, 1974's The Parallax View, 1975's Shampoo (pictured), and his directorial debut, 1978's Heaven Can Wait, all of which earned him five more Oscar nods. 1981's Reds finally won him his first Academy Award for Best Director. 1987's Ishtar, 1990's Dick Tracy and 1991's Bugsy were also major hits.
His final movie appearance to date came after a 15 year break, 2016's Rules Don't Apply. Most memorably, in 2017, he reunited with Bonnie & Clyde co-star Faye Dunaway at the 89th Academy Awards, where they infamously were handed the wrong envelope and mistakenly announced La La Land as the winner for Best Picture over the actual winner, Moonlight.
© Getty ImagesWarren's personal life
For decades, Warren was considered one of Hollywood's most notorious ladies' men, with relationships and romances with the likes of Joan Collins, Cher, Carly Simon, Madonna, Diane Keaton, and Leslie Caron.
In 1992, however, he finally tied the knot with Annette Bening, and they've been happily married since. The pair share four children, with their daughter Ella Beatty now following in their footsteps as an actor.
© Getty ImagesMeet Warren Beatty's sister, Shirley MacLaine
Warren's older sister is fellow actress and Hollywood icon Shirley MacLaine, who was born Shirley Beaty in 1934. Like Warren altered his surname for his stage name, Shirley did so as well using their mother's maiden name, MacLean.
After a childhood of learning ballet, Shirley decided to move to New York City to try her hand at acting. She made a few appearances on stage before landing her film debut in 1955.
© Getty ImagesShirley MacLaine's prolific career
In 1955, the actress made her debut with the Alfred Hitchcock vehicle The Trouble with Harry, immediately cementing her as "one to watch" and winning her a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year, the same prize her younger brother would win for his own 1961 debut.
She starred in the Best Picture winning Around the World in 80 Days the year after, and earned her first Oscar nomination for 1958's Some Came Running. 1960's The Apartment (pictured) propelled her to major stardom, earning her a second Academy Award nod for Best Actress, although she infamously lost to Elizabeth Taylor for BUtterfield 8.
Irma la Douce (1963), Sweet Charity (1969), The Turning Point (1977), and Being There (1979) all cemented her legacy, with Shirley finally winning her Oscar for 1983's Terms of Endearment. Her most memorable credits since then include Steel Magnolias (1989), Postcards From the Edge (1990), In Her Shoes (2005), and TV shows like Downton Abbey, Glee and Only Murders in the Building.
© Ron Galella Collection via GettyShirley's personal life
From 1954 to 1982, Shirley was married to businessman Steve Parker, welcoming a daughter named Sachi Parker in 1956. Sachi is reportedly estranged from her mother, making claims of neglect and emotional abuse from both parents, which Shirley has denied.
She has also developed a reputation for her thoughts especially on metaphysics, reincarnation, spirituality, and extra-terrestrials, among others, with her 1983 book Out on a Limb earning both praise and derision from the public at the time.
© Getty ImagesShirley and Warren's relationship
The siblings are extremely close, and have been for most of their lives, especially due to also being so close in age. Shirley, now 92, told People back in 2024: "We're very close, we're very close. We don't let that be known, but we're very close."
However, the pair have never worked together on screen. Shirley explained in her memoir, The Wall of Life, that they did come close to working together at one point, when she was cast to play the role of Bonnie in 1967's Bonnie & Clyde. However, "when it was decided that Warren was going to play Clyde, they got someone else, for obvious reasons," she penned.
