At a star-studded event last week, Warren Beatty received the American Film Institute’s highest honor for his outstanding film career.

Beatty, who throughout his life has received numerous accolades as an actor, director, producer, and all around humanitarian, was honored by some of the best and brightest in film and politics: wife Annette Bening, sister Shirley MacLaine, Robert Downey, Jr., Halle Berry, Dustin Hoffman, Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Quentin Tarantino, Bill Clinton, a pre-taped John McCain, and a post-Lakers-game Jack Nicholson.

While the ceremony may sound staid, the comments dished out were anything but:

Jane Fonda: “I thought he was gay. He was so cute, and all his men friends were gay and brilliant. He had a way of collecting really brilliant gay men friends. And he liked to play piano in a piano bar—I mean, what were the odds he was straight? Shows you how dumb I was.”

Dustin Hoffman, on his co-starring roles in Ishtar and Dick Tracy: “It’s ironic that I’m here for the movies-that-bombed portion of the evening…Ishtar shall rise again!”

Halle Berry: “There was the usual discussion with the studio if there should be a scene to spice up [Bulworth]—if somebody should go topless. But I have to say, to Warren’s credit, he put his foot down and insisted on keeping his shorts on for the entire movie.”

The usually reserved Beatty also spoke at the event, thanking those who were there to honor him. But he saved his sweetest “thank you” for his wife, Annette Bening: “I love my profession because it’s introduced me to the person who’s given me the most important thing of all, which is her love and the love of our four children. Annette, I can thank the movies for leading me to you.”

Ahh, talk about a real-life Love Affair.

The 36th Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Warren Beatty, honoring the 47-year career of the 71-year-old star, airs June 25th on USA.

Check out cool photos from this event at the Buzzscene!