Annette Bening Gets Candid About Her Son's Gender Transition

Annette Bening is on the cover of AARP The Magazine‘s December/January issue, out now.

Here’s what the 61-year-old Captain Marvel actress had to say…

On life with an empty nest: “A lot of women have a period of incredible growth after their children are no longer with them on a day-to-day basis.”

On her son Stephen’s gender transition: “He’s managed something that’s very challenging with great style and great intelligence. He’s an articulate, thoughtful person, and I’m very, very proud of him.”

On protecting her children: “When I was younger, part of me thought I could save my children from having to suffer, which was, of course, ridiculous. They have to go through their struggles.”

On films in Hollywood today: “So much of what we hear in Hollywood is that it’s youth focused. But, hey, we’re out here, too, right? We’re looking for films that are stimulating, provocative, intelligent and not exploitative in any way.”

For more from Annette, head to AARP.org/magazine.