Introduction to a Hollywood Legend
Diane Keaton, the quirky and stylish Oscar-winning star of Annie Hall and the Godfather Trilogy, has passed away at the age of 79. The news of her death was unexpected, as she was not known to be ill, and no cause of death has been announced.
Early Life and Career
Keaton was born in Los Angeles on January 5, 1946, one of four children. She began acting after seeing her mother, Dorothy, on the local stage. She studied acting at Santa Ana College before moving to New York and landing a role in the original 1968 Broadway production of Hair. A long collaboration with Woody Allen began with a role in his stage comedy Play it again, Sam, for which she received a Tony nomination in 1969.
Rise to Fame
Keaton played her first leading role in Cy Howard’s 1970 comedy Lovers and Other Strangers. Not long after, she landed the role of Kay Adams in Francis Ford Coppola’s film The Godfather and appeared throughout the trilogy. She won the Oscar and the Bafta for Annie Hall in 1978 and worked with Allen on many films, including Manhattan, Sleeper, Radio Days, Love and Death, and Manhattan Murder Mystery. Keaton and Allen had a brief romance and remained friends until their deaths.
Notable Works and Awards
Keaton received three more Oscar nominations: for Warren Beatty’s Reds in 1982; Marvin’s Room with Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio in 1997; and Something’s Gotta Give alongside Jack Nicholson in 2004. Her credits also include Shoot the Moon, Father of the Bride, and Book Club Movies, as well as her final role in the 2024 comedy Summer Camp.
Directing and Personal Life
As a director, Keaton made the 1995 Cannes selection Unstrung Heroes, a documentary called Heaven, and directed and starred alongside Meg Ryan and Lisa Kudrow in the 2000 comedy Hanging Up. She also directed an episode of Twin Peaks and Belinda Carlisle music videos. Keaton never married and is survived by her adopted daughter Dexter and son Duke. Her girlfriend and First Wives Club co-star Bette Midler paid tribute to her on Instagram, saying, "The brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary Diane Keaton has died. I’m unbearably sad. She was hilarious, completely original, and completely devoid of guile or competitiveness."
