Lizzie Borden actress Ella Beatty reveals advice she was given by famous Hollywood parents
Although her parents in the latest instalment of Netflix's Monster anthology series aren't very nice people, in real life, Ella Beatty's mother and father are her best pals.
The 26-year-old actress is the daughter of cinematic legends Warren Beatty, 89, and Annette Bening, 68, who evidently passed on their talents to her.
In fact, acting is deeply-rooted in her DNA, as Ella's aunt is Oscar-winning actress Shirley MacLaine - and her famous relatives have proved to be a wealth of wisdom for her.
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Ella takes on the leading role in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, the fourth instalment of the gruesome Netflix series after previously focusing on crimes committed by Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez Brothers, and Ed Gein.
READ MORE: Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story cast and what they look like in real life
Ella has already got a few impressive titles under her belt at the tender age of 26, as she previously starred in the Hulu series Feud: Capote vs. The Swans and the A24 film If I Had Legs I'd Kick You.
Although some might think the Los Angeles-born actress has had a huge leg up in the industry thanks to having celebrity parents, her co-stars like Sarah Paulson insist she is a star in her own right.
During a joint interview with Interview Magazine last year, American Horror Story alum Paulson explained she had 'no idea' that Warren and Annettee were her mum and dad.
"My interest in you, my estimation of you as a performer, had nothing to do with that," she told Ella. "Your father was a great movie star, but in terms of the current knowledge that some young people have today, your name might not be synonymous immediately with one of the most important actors and directors to ever walk the planet...I didn’t know you came from these formidable performers and I was assessing you entirely on your own merit."
Ella explained she caught the acting bug when she was just a kid, as she 'contextualised the world' around her by 'playing pretend'.
"I didn’t work professionally at all until I graduated from acting school, but I knew that that was who I was before I knew it was going to be my profession," the former Juilliard student said.
Even though she doesn't want to ride on the coattails of her Oscar-winning dad - best known for films such as Bonnie and Clyde, Reds and Dick Tracy - and Golden Globe winner Annette, who is renowned for her roles in flicks such as American Beauty, Being Julia and Nyad, Ella doesn't mind taking their advice on board.
The couple - who met while filming the 1991 crime drama Bugsy and share four children - shared a few words of wisdom with their youngest as she began carving out her own career.
Speaking to E! News, Ella revealed that her parents informed her simply 'listening' while on set is one of the most valuable moves she could make.
"As an actor in a scene - always being more curious about what the other person is doing," she explained. "Get interested rather than be interesting, but also to listen and observe and watch more generally.
"You never want to be the smartest person in the room. Just really listening is what I learned most from them."
She described both Warren and Annette as 'incredible artists', while noting that her mother is her 'favourite actress in the world, hero and best friend'.
Ella previously discussed her thoughts on being a 'nepo baby' with Vogue in 2024, saying: "I totally acknowledge that there is an inherent privilege and exposure that comes from having well-known actors as parents.
"And I really hope that I can offer something meaningful."
The actress said she had a 'very instinctive connection' to her character in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, which made her realise it was an opportunity she simply couldn't pass up.
"Even by nature of her being the first female monster, I felt the difference there," Ella added. "I was so excited by that opportunity to interrogate that theme."
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is available to stream on Netflix now.
Olivia Burke