I can’t tell you how happy I am Warren Beatty is back and doing a media blitz for his new film, Rules Don’t Apply. The photo above is from the premiere in San Francisco with Rules star Lily Collins. You can see more pictures of her dress here. Beatty is talented and is so in many areas – writing, directing and acting – but he is also a larger than life personality who won’t let others dictate what information gets out there. Since resurfacing, there have been two major themes interviewers want to talk about 1) his womanizing past and 2) that he is a doting father who adores being a dad. Only one of those two subjects Beatty will discuss and I’ll give you a hint, it’s not the first one. And why should he? He’s been happily married to Annette Bening for 25 years and if nothing else, she doesn’t deserve all the regurgitating of his past affairs. It’s not like she doesn’t know they happened. His kids, however, he will discuss for as long as the interviewer has tape. Beatty and Annette have four kids Stephen, 24, Benjamin, 22, Isabel, 19, and Ella, 16. Beatty became a father later in life, something he credits for why he is so invested as a dad, because it was when he was ready.

Warren Beatty‘s list of ex-girlfriends reads like a who’s who of Hollywood in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. That all changed when the actor met Annette Bening on the set of the 1991 film Bugsy.

The couple married in 1992 and had four children — Stephen, 24, Benjamin, 22, Isabel, 19, and Ella, 16.

“That’s the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me – and their mother,” Beatty says of his kids. “That’s bigger than fame, and it came not a moment too soon.”

Beatty recently told Vanity Fair that oldest child Stephen, a transgender activist and writer, is “a revolutionary, a genius and my hero, as are all my children.”

He says now: “They’ve always known I felt that way.”

Although he’s one of the biggest movie stars of his day, Beatty’s fame doesn’t mean much to his kids – they haven’t even seen their parents’ iconic movies.

“Once in a while I’ll say, ‘Did you ever see such and such?’ And they haven’t,” Beatty says. “I said to my 19-year-old last year, ‘Have you ever seen Shampoo?’ and she was like, ‘Nooo.’ So there’s my legacy for you. At least around here.”

What’s important to him isn’t that his kids know his biggest roles, but that he’s a great parent. When asked if he thinks he’s a good father, he replies without hesitation, “I know it.”

[From People]

I didn’t realize that Stephen transitioned at 14. For some reason I’d always thought he’d been older but I think maybe I just didn’t hear about it until later. One thing is clear, Beatty doesn’t mince words. When he says he knows he’s a great dad, he’s not necessarily patting himself on the back but telling you to look how amazing his kids are. I’m not saying Beatty doesn’t have an ego, he does and it’s colossal, just there’s a logic there I appreciate. Plus I think it’s a riot that his kids haven’t seen any of his films – that I know must rankle him. The Vanity Fair article referenced is a pretty good one. At one point Robert Blake, whom Beatty had never met prior, inserted himself into the interview and, predictably, stated talking crazy.

I got so wrapped up in Beatty reappearing I kind of forgot to consider the film he has out. Apparently it’s a romantic comedy, which surprises me given it’s about Howard Hughes. The reviews as of this writing are tepid. However, I was interested in it for the cast alone – Beatty put out the call and everyone came running – but the trailer looks camp and fun so I think I might check it out. Alden Ehrenreich stars in it – that’s our new Han Solo, folks, so what do we think? He looks like he might just be up for the job:

Photo Credit: WENN Photos