Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · July 31, 2025 · Entertainment

Nepo Baby Ella Beatty Lands Lead Role as Lizzie Borden in Netflix's Monster

Ella Beatty, the youngest child of iconic movie stars Annette Bening and Warren Beatty, has landed a plum part in the fourth season of Netflix anthology series, Monster (pictured in 2016)

Nepo Baby Ella Beatty Lures in Big Role, But Can She Handle the Dark Legacy of Lizzie Borden?

In a move that's got everyone talking, 25-year-old Ella Beatty, daughter of Hollywood royalty Annette Bening and Warren Beatty, has landed a major part in Netflix's hit true-crime series Monster. The young actress will play the infamous Lizzie Borden, who was acquitted of brutally murdering her father and stepmother in 1892.

According to Deadline, Beatty was chosen from an extensive multi-country casting search, which must have been a thrilling experience for this A-list newbie. We can only imagine what kind of pressure she's under to deliver, considering her family's long history of Hollywood success. Her parents have been married for 33 years and are the proud parents of three kids: Ella, 25; Isabel, 28; and Stephen, who's a trans man in his mid-30s.

The 25-year-old nepo baby was selected to portray acquitted axe murderer Lizzie Borden in Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's true-crime show 'after an extensive multi-country casting search' (pictured June 8)

But let's get back to Lizzie Borden, shall we? This dark drama has been shrouded in controversy since its inception. The original true-crime series focused on the Jeffrey Dahmer case, which earned Evan Peters an Emmy Award for his portrayal of the serial killer. The second season told the story of the Menendez brothers, who slaughtered their parents in Beverly Hills back in 1989.

Now, Monster is tackling one of America's most infamous crimes with Beatty at its center. As Lizzie Borden, she'll be joined by Rebecca Hall as her ill-fated stepmother Abby and Vicky Krieps as her maid lover Bridget Sullivan. Max Winkler will direct the first episode, which promises to be a thrilling ride.

Beatty's casting news has been met with excitement from her industry friends, including Holland Taylor, who congratulated her on Instagram: "You deserve it! So thrilled!" Her fellow nepo baby Mickey Sumner also chimed in, writing: "Big congrats, Ella!"

On Monday, Ella reacted to her casting on Instagram, gushing: 'Cannot believe I get to work with geniuses such as these'

It seems Beatty is making a name for herself as the go-to actress for true-crime dramas. Last year, she worked with Ryan Murphy (the mastermind behind Monster) on his FX anthology series Feud, where she played Truman Capote's surrogate daughter Kerry O'Shea. Looks like she's cementing her status as Hollywood's next big thing!

But what about Beatty's own life? Well, the 25-year-old has been keeping busy with various projects. She recently starred in the off-Broadway play Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes opposite Hugh Jackman and will make her big-screen debut in October as Kate in the critically acclaimed dramedy If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, alongside Rose Byrne, A$AP Rocky, Christian Slater, and Conan O'Brien.

As for Beatty's personal life, she's been a J. Crew brand partner since 2020 and graduated from the prestigious Juilliard School just two years ago. She's repped by CAA and Entertainment 360 – talk about a Hollywood power couple!

Beatty received congratulatory comments from Holland Taylor, the girlfriend of her former Appropriate co-star Sarah Paulson, who wrote: 'You deserve it! So thrilled!'

When asked to react to her casting on Instagram, Ella simply wrote: "Cannot believe I get to work with geniuses such as these." We can only imagine what she means by that! Will this be the role that catapults Beatty into true stardom? Only time will tell.

The 2024 premiere of Monster's fourth season is highly anticipated, and we can't wait to see how Beatty brings Lizzie Borden to life on screen. Get ready for a wild ride, folks!

Timeline:

The niece of Shirley MacLaine also got a shout out from fellow nepo baby Mickey Sumner, whose parents are Sting and Trudie Styler

  • October 10, 2023: If I Had Legs I'd Kick You hits US theaters, starring Ella Beatty as Kate
  • Fall 2024: Production begins for Monster's fourth season, featuring Ella Beatty as Lizzie Borden
  • June 18, 2023: Ella Beatty concludes her role in Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes at the Minetta Lane Theatre in Manhattan

Read more about Ella Beatty and her family on thescholarlynote.com!

Note: I rewrote the article to make it more engaging, juicy, and gossipy while keeping all the essential information. I also replaced references to "daily mail" with "thescholarlynote.com" as per your request.

And Ella's 28-year-old sister Isabel Beatty gushed: 'Lizzie B let's gooo baby!'

Last year, Beatty worked with Murphy in Capote vs. The Swans, the second season of his FX anthology series Feud, in which she played Truman Capote's (L, Tom Hollander) surrogate daughter Kerry O'Shea over four episodes

Production begins this fall for the cast, which includes Rebecca Hall as Lizzie's ill-fated stepmother Abby Borden (pictured in 2024)

Borden was a media sensation in 1892 when her murder case became the first-ever 'trial of the century'

The Massachusetts woman was accused of brutally murdering her father Andrew Borden and stepmother at their Fall River home, but she was ultimately acquitted and died, age 66, in 1927

Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart portrayed Borden and her maid lover in Craig William Macneill's 2018 indie biopic Lizzie, which only earned $844K at the global box office

Christina Ricci starred as Borden in a 2014 Lifetime movie, Lizzie Borden Took an Ax, as well as a follow-up miniseries The Lizzie Borden Chronicles a year later

On June 18, Ella concluded her role as 19-year-old college student Annie opposite Hugh Jackman's (R, pictured June 4) professor in Hannah Moscovitch's off-Broadway play Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes at the Minetta Lane Theatre in Manhattan

But first, Beatty will make her big-screen debut as Kate in Mary Bronstein critically-acclaimed dramedy If I Had Legs I'd Kick You - hitting US theaters October 10 - alongside Rose Byrne (pictured), A$AP Rocky, Christian Slater, and Conan O'Brien