Warren Beatty's close friends spilled secrets about the star when he was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award. Words such as legend, teacher, hypochondriac and ghetto superstar were used to describe him at the four hour, yes four hour, awards ceremony that took place Thursday at the Kodak Theater. Below are some highlights.
Jane Fonda recalled doing their first screen test together saying, "It was a love scene and we kissed and I don't remember anything about it because I was so nervous. I mean, it was Shirley MacLaine's brother. We became friends and nothing more. I thought he was gay. He was so cute and all his men friends were gay. He had a way of collecting really brilliant gay men friends and he liked to play piano in a piano bar, what were the odds that he was straight."
Quentin Tarantino on "Bonnie and Clyde" - "It was Warren who read that script and realized what he had. As much as he loved what it was I think he adored what it wasn't. It was a gangster movie without the cliches. It was the Hollywood movie with out the cliches."
Dustin Hoffman on "Ishtar" - "It is ironic that they asked me to speak at the film that bombed part of the evening. 'Ishtar' shall rise again." On Warren getting the AFI Life Achievement Award: "When a friend of over 40 years gets a one foot in the grave awar, otherwise known as the lifetime achievement award, we as actors understand the subtext of the award."
Bill Clinton: "I saw 'Bonnie and Clyde' and it made me feel grateful that I had found a less lethal way to escape rural poverty and obscurity. I later learned it was only slightly less lethal."
Diane Keaton on "Reds" - "Seeing it again brings a flood of very intense feelings for me. I guess because it dealt with a subject that I have always been compelled yet terrified of and that is love. Love with all its risk taking enchantment. Love with its ultimate promise of loss."
Elaine May on "Heaven Can Wait" - "When he tells you about a project he is going to do, he manages to make it sound as crazy as possible. So when I first met him and he wanted me to do 'Heaven Can Wait' he said it is a remake and I am not going to be in it but I am putting this together as a staring vehicle for Muhammad Ali and it is about a boxer who dies and goes to heaven but its a mistake so they bring him back but they put him in the body of a CEO... it's a love story."
Barry Levinson on "Bugsy" - "I told Warren he had to meet Annette saying she was really smart, great sense of humor, really understands the role of Virginia Hill, I think you should meet her right away. He called me the next day and he said, 'she is really terrific, I am going to marry her.' That is really what he said. People always ask me over the years didn't you know the two were in love while you were making the movie and to be honest I just thought it was good screen chemistry. I had no idea. When I heard they were in the trailer, I thought they were rehearsing and were just really dedicated."
Halle Berry on "Bulworth" - "Watching Warren rap was one of the moments in my career that I will never forget."
Jack Nicholson, who arrived after the Lakers game at the Staples Center to honor his friend, said "He has received eight times as many awards as he has made pictures."
Photo: Annette Benning and Warren Beatty/ FilmMagic
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