This acclaim continued throughout the 1990s and 2000s with further Oscar-nominated performances in the comedy-dramas American Beauty (1999) and Being Julia (2004), which respectively won her the BAFTA and Golden Globe for Best Actress.

Bening's performance as the title character in the British television film Mrs. Harris (2005) earned her a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie.

She returned to Broadway in the revival of Arthur Miller's All My Sons (2019) earning another Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Play.

When Bening was in elementary school, her father relocated the family to San Diego, California, where she spent the remainder of her youth.

[10][11] She then spent a year working as a cook on a charter boat taking fishing parties out on the Pacific Ocean, and scuba diving for recreation.

[12] Bening began her career on stage with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival company in 1980,[13] and appeared in plays at the San Diego Repertory Theatre.

Bening garnered acclaim for her starring role in Sam Mendes' directorial debut film, American Beauty (1999).

She starred opposite Kevin Spacey in the dark comedy-drama about a man suffering a mid-life crisis in 90s American suburbia.

[17] In 1999, Bening returned to the stage for the first time in 10 years playing the title role in Hedda Gabler at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Times praised her performance saying "Bening uses her vocal instrument to fine effect, without throwing it around...

[20] She replaced Julianne Moore and starred in the film adaptation of Running with Scissors (2006), for which she earned her third nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.

[26][27] Bening starred in Dan Fogelman's 2015 American comedy drama Danny Collins with Al Pacino.

In 2016, Bening starred in Mike Mills's comedy drama 20th Century Women alongside Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, and Billy Crudup.

The following year, she portrayed Gloria Grahame in Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2017) alongside Jamie Bell, Vanessa Redgrave, and Julie Walters.

Peter Bradshaw critic from The Guardian praised her performance declaring, "Bening is excellent as Grahame: imperious, vulnerable, romantic, sexually excited about her younger man, wanly aware of secrets she cannot share with him".

[32] The following year, she portrayed Senator Dianne Feinstein in the political drama film The Report (2019) for which she earned her first nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.

In 2022, she acted in Kenneth Branagh's Death on the Nile and the comedy Jerry & Marge Go Large opposite Bryan Cranston.

[38] She next starred in Liane Moriarty's Apples Never Fall, based on the bestselling thriller which was adaptated by Peacock and also features Sam Neill.