Bening was born in Topeka, Kansas, the youngest of four children, to Shirley, a church singer and soloist, and Arnett Grant Bening, a sales training consultant and insurance salesman.
Bening was born in Topeka, Kansas, the youngest of four children. Her mother, Shirley (née Ashley), was a church singer and soloist, and her father, Arnett Grant Bening, was a sales training consultant and insurance salesman.