What do you think?
Rate this book
Warren Beatty: A Private Man
“Whatever you have read or heard about me through articles or gossip, forget it. I am nothing like that Warren Beatty. I am nothing like what you have read.” —Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty guarded his privacy even before he became a movie star, when he burst onto the screen in 1961 as the earnestly handsome all-American boy in Splendor in the Grass. When he started acting, Beatty kept secret the fact that actress Shirley MacLaine, already a star, was his older sister. Over time, he has cultivated a mystique, giving few interviews and instructing others not to talk about him. Until now.
Through years of groundbreaking research, lauded biographer Suzanne Finstad gained unprecedented access to Beatty’s family, close friends, and film colleagues, including such luminaries in the arts and politics as Jane Fonda, Goldie Hawn, Leslie Caron, Robert Towne, Mike Nichols, and Senators John McCain, George McGovern, and Gary Hart. Weaving hundreds of these candid interviews, photographs from private albums, personal letters, diaries, and the previously unpublished papers of the late Natalie Wood and mentors such as directors Elia Kazan and George Stevens, playwrights Clifford Odets and William Inge, and agent Charles Feldman, Warren Beatty unveils the real Beatty—a complex, sensitive visionary torn between the “fairly puritanical, football-playing boy” from Virginia and his Hollywood playboy image.
Finstad paints a rich, fascinating portrait of the secretive film legend, taking us back to the “unrealized genius” parents who molded arguably the most famous brother and sister in Hollywood history, tracing the family influences and events in Beatty’s past that directly inspired McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Shampoo, Heaven Can Wait, Reds, Ishtar, Dick Tracy, Bugsy, Love Affair, and Bulworth, and led to his political activism, culminating in a near-bid for the White House. Finstad constructs the definitive, myth-shattering account of Beatty’s evolution from Hollywood’s enfant terrible to producer of the revolutionary Bonnie and Clyde, launching him as the premier actor/director/writer/producer of his generation, the only person to twice earn Oscar nominations in all five major categories.
Here also is the truth about Beatty the lover, setting the record straight on his storied relationships with such iconic actresses and beauties as Jane Fonda, Joan Collins, Natalie Wood, Leslie Caron, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Michelle Phillips, Diane Keaton, Isabelle Adjani, and Madonna. Finstad’s astute insights illuminate Beatty’s private struggle to attain happiness, his complicated bond with his sister, Shirley, and the deeper reasons why, at fifty-four, the archetypal bachelor married actress Annette Bening.
Stunningly researched, engrossing, and exquisitely detailed, Warren Beatty: A Private Man gives us a new understanding of the enigmatic, fiercely intelligent star who embodies the American dream.
From the Hardcover edition.
Warren Beatty guarded his privacy even before he became a movie star, when he burst onto the screen in 1961 as the earnestly handsome all-American boy in Splendor in the Grass. When he started acting, Beatty kept secret the fact that actress Shirley MacLaine, already a star, was his older sister. Over time, he has cultivated a mystique, giving few interviews and instructing others not to talk about him. Until now.
Through years of groundbreaking research, lauded biographer Suzanne Finstad gained unprecedented access to Beatty’s family, close friends, and film colleagues, including such luminaries in the arts and politics as Jane Fonda, Goldie Hawn, Leslie Caron, Robert Towne, Mike Nichols, and Senators John McCain, George McGovern, and Gary Hart. Weaving hundreds of these candid interviews, photographs from private albums, personal letters, diaries, and the previously unpublished papers of the late Natalie Wood and mentors such as directors Elia Kazan and George Stevens, playwrights Clifford Odets and William Inge, and agent Charles Feldman, Warren Beatty unveils the real Beatty—a complex, sensitive visionary torn between the “fairly puritanical, football-playing boy” from Virginia and his Hollywood playboy image.
Finstad paints a rich, fascinating portrait of the secretive film legend, taking us back to the “unrealized genius” parents who molded arguably the most famous brother and sister in Hollywood history, tracing the family influences and events in Beatty’s past that directly inspired McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Shampoo, Heaven Can Wait, Reds, Ishtar, Dick Tracy, Bugsy, Love Affair, and Bulworth, and led to his political activism, culminating in a near-bid for the White House. Finstad constructs the definitive, myth-shattering account of Beatty’s evolution from Hollywood’s enfant terrible to producer of the revolutionary Bonnie and Clyde, launching him as the premier actor/director/writer/producer of his generation, the only person to twice earn Oscar nominations in all five major categories.
Here also is the truth about Beatty the lover, setting the record straight on his storied relationships with such iconic actresses and beauties as Jane Fonda, Joan Collins, Natalie Wood, Leslie Caron, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Michelle Phillips, Diane Keaton, Isabelle Adjani, and Madonna. Finstad’s astute insights illuminate Beatty’s private struggle to attain happiness, his complicated bond with his sister, Shirley, and the deeper reasons why, at fifty-four, the archetypal bachelor married actress Annette Bening.
Stunningly researched, engrossing, and exquisitely detailed, Warren Beatty: A Private Man gives us a new understanding of the enigmatic, fiercely intelligent star who embodies the American dream.
From the Hardcover edition.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
608 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
16 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 2, 2007
This is a great book. First of all, it's a real biography, (at 608 pages, it better be!) and not just some 'popular' quickie. Author Suzanne Finstad extensively explores, with care and grace, the inner life of this very complex actor/writer/director/producer. There are many unexpected revelations here. For example, we all know how childhood events influence our adult life, but this was especially true of Beatty in ways that actually appear in almost ALL his films if you know where to look. Very interesting. If you'd like to truly understand what motivated this extraordinarily driven artist (and no, it wasn't just the women, although that certainly was a primary factor - albeit for some very surprising reasons), then this book is it. It's the truly definitive story of Warren Beatty, a man whose privacy was the most precious thing in his life. At least until Annette came along...
November 24, 2008
Has anyone really ever KNOWN Warren Beatty? Considering that he's been a verbal clam for most of his life and didn't participate in this biography (nor any other), a pretty detailed picture of him is created here, but a great deal of it can only be projected or conjectured since he's such an enigma. And, frankly, a lot of his behavior as depicted in the book is annoying and unsympathetic. Still, it's a pretty fascinating book with lots of info about Beatty and other Hollywood players along the way.
July 7, 2024
Because of the in-depth history - his mother’s colorful side of the family hail from Nova Scotia and his father is an American southern gentleman - this reads like a novel at first. Warren’s family inspire just about everything he does - personally and professionally. Yes, there are women, but this is not a salacious, gossipy read. If you did a word search of the manuscript, the two adjectives that would appear most often would be loyal and smart. If you enjoy film history there’s plenty here to satisfy. I didn’t know that Hackman appeared in Reds without a salary. He refused one because he feels that he owes his career to Beatty for casting him in Bonnie and Clyde.
June 18, 2009
This is a rainy-day-curl-up-in-a-blanket kind of book. I enjoyed it but did not find it a really-keep-me-interested-for-a-long-time kind of book.
February 27, 2025
The title contradicts the length of book.a mammoth task,but is it worth it?I stayed with it to the end,a partial duel biography as his sister shirley dips in and out of the story.i found egotistical, never a good actor probably living off two films that were good ,bonnie and Clyde and the parallax view.more famous for his affairs and the starring roles in major films turned down for mediocre fair.in this age of 'me too' his aggressive sexual behaviour wouldn't be tolerated today.a so so read.
March 2, 2021
Very thorough but also VERY repetitive
September 17, 2014
3 STARS
"“Whatever you have read or heard about me through articles or gossip, forget it. I am nothing like that Warren Beatty. I am nothing like what you have read.” —Warren Beatty Stunningly researched, engrossing, and exquisitely detailed, Warren Beatty: A Private Man gives us a new understanding of the enigmatic, fiercely intelligent star who embodies the American dream. Weaving together hundreds of candid interviews, photographs from private albums, personal letters, and diaries, lauded biographer Suzanne Finstad unveils the real Beatty and constructs the definitive, myth-shattering account of his evolution from Hollywood’s enfant terrible to film legend." (From Amazon)
Another good biography by Finstad.
"“Whatever you have read or heard about me through articles or gossip, forget it. I am nothing like that Warren Beatty. I am nothing like what you have read.” —Warren Beatty Stunningly researched, engrossing, and exquisitely detailed, Warren Beatty: A Private Man gives us a new understanding of the enigmatic, fiercely intelligent star who embodies the American dream. Weaving together hundreds of candid interviews, photographs from private albums, personal letters, and diaries, lauded biographer Suzanne Finstad unveils the real Beatty and constructs the definitive, myth-shattering account of his evolution from Hollywood’s enfant terrible to film legend." (From Amazon)
Another good biography by Finstad.
March 6, 2008
Very detailed life history of Warren Beatty, maybe too detailed for someone only passively interested in Warren Beatty. He remains an enigma to the author, but there are many interesting stories along the way about "Bonnie and Clyde," "Reds," etc.
February 11, 2008
oh warren - but who the f edited this? interesting with lovely photos, but horribly written.
September 27, 2017
#87 of 120 books pledged to read in 2017.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews