Annette Bening is "super proud" of her transgender son.

Annette Bening

Annette Bening

The '20th Century Women' actress - who has Stephen Ira, 25, Benjamin, 22, Isabel, 20, and Ella, 16, with husband Warren Beatty - doesn't like to speak on behalf of her oldest child, but is impressed with the way he leads his life.

Speaking of Stephen Ira, who was born Kathlyn and began transitioning at 14, Annette said: "I'm super proud of him. I leave it to him to say what he wants about his life. I don't think it's fair for me to speak for any of my kids, quite frankly. Not that I wouldn't like to, ha!"

The 58-year-old actress finds some of the double standards she encounters in her career frustrating, such as the fact women are asked about their families far more than actors are.

She insisted to the Observer magazine: "Women in showbusiness have to deal with people talking to us about our children. Men generally don't."

And Annette thinks there are far too many expectations on women on all areas of their lives these days and insisted people should stop worrying about accomplishing everything they can and just focus on finding "meaning" in their lives.

She said: "I'm no expert. There's so much pressure on women now to be sexy, to become educated, to have a fulfilling relationship. And - oh yes! - you also have to have children, and you're supposed to be very happy when you're doing all of this.

"It's impossible. You don't have to do everything. Just do a little bit at a time.

"It's not like we have to be happy all the time. Who wants that? The real thing we all search for is meaning."