Hollywood legend Diane Keaton dies aged 79
She had an acclaimed career.
Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton has died aged 79.
A family spokesperson confirmed she died in California. Further details have not been provided, and her loved ones have asked for privacy, per a statement to People.
She is survived by her two children Dexter and Duke Keaton.
The late screen star is best known for her roles in classic movies such as The Godfather and Annie Hall, for which she won an Academy Award in 1977.
Keaton was born Diane Hall in Los Angeles in 1946, and she started her career on Broadway in the late 1960s, scooping up a Tony nomination for her role in Woody Allen’s play Play it Again, Sam.
After her silver screen debut in Lovers and Other Strangers in 1970, her breakout happened when Francis Ford Coppola cast her as Kay Adams – the love interest of Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone – in 1972’s The Godfather, which won Best Picture.
The iconic actress was catapulted into stardom after appearing in The Godfather (Picture: Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock) Keaton won an Oscar for Annie Hall in 1977 (Picture: Rollins-Joffe/United Artists/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)She went on to appear in the full trilogy between the 70s and 90s – all three of which received critical acclaim.
Her other beloved movies include The First Wives Club, Father Of The Bride, The Family Stone and the Book Club movies.
Keaton and director Allen collaborated on several movies after Annie Hall – where she played his love interest – including 1978’s Interiors, 1979’s Manhattan and 1993’s Manhattan Murder Mystery.
After sexual abuse allegations came out against the prolific filmmaker which he has denied, she defended him, telling The Guardian in 2023: ‘He was great. He was everything, and he remains [so] to me.’
In recent years, Keaton appeared in the Book Club franchise (Picture: Everett/Shutterstock) She secured four Oscar nominations and one win during her career (Picture: Glasshouse Images/Shutterstock)The actress – renowned for her distinctive style – secured three more Oscar nominations during her career for 1981’s Reds, 1996’s Marvin’s Room and 2003’s Something’s Gotta Give.
In recent years, the rom-com star has maintained a varied career, appearing in Justin Bieber’s music video Ghost and in 2024 releasing her first Holiday single, First Christmas.
After an over 50-year career, she reflected on her cinematic legacy to Metro in 2023 – remaining humble throughout.
‘I’ll not get carried away with that. It’s not true, I am not a screen icon, but I have had the pleasure of acting in movies,’ she said at the time.
In her personal life, Keaton had several high-profile relationships, including with former co-stars Allen and Pacino, as well as Warren Beatty, among others.
She never married, telling People when she was 73: ‘I don’t think it would have been a good idea for me to have married, and I’m really glad I didn’t, and I’m sure they’re happy about it, too.’
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