Diane Keaton, the Oscar-winning actress known for an impressive career in light-hearted comedies, a quirky fashion sense and a penchant for drinking red wine with ice cubes, died at the age of 79.
A family spokesperson confirmed her death to People in California.
No further details were released and the family requested privacy at this time.
Early years and rise
Keaton, born and raised in Los Angeles, began acting and singing at Santa Ana High School, where she appeared as Blanche DuBois in Endstation Sehnsucht. After studying acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, Keaton was hired as a replacement for the character of Sheila in the original production of the Broadway musical “Hair” in 1968.
The following year, she starred in Woody Allen’s stage comedy “Play It Again, Sam,” which earned her a Tony nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Play.
The actress went on to appear in several films, including Lovers and Other Strangers, which marked her big screen debut. Francis Ford Coppola noticed her performance and cast her in his 1972 Oscar-winning film “The Godfather” as Kay Adams, the girlfriend and later wife of Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino.
Breakthrough with “The Godfather” and “The Urban Neurotician”
In 2023, Coppola finally explained what fascinated him about Keaton in response to a question from the actress herself: “I chose you because, although you were supposed to play the more well-behaved, simple wife, there was something deeper, funnier and very interesting in you,” he said, adding: “I was right.”
Keaton reprized her role in The Godfather Part II, but turned away from drama when she began working with Allen regularly in the 1970s, in films such as The Sleeper, The Last Night of Boris Grushenko, Inner Life, Manhattan and the film adaptation of Play It Again, Sam.
Oscar for “The Urban Neurotic”
In 1977, Keaton played the self-deprecating, tomboyish title role in Allen’s The Urban Neurotic, which was loosely based on her. The film was a box office hit and earned Keaton the Oscar for Best Actress. She also won a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and several critics awards for the role.
“I think as an actor you’re always exposing yourself,” Keaton told Rolling Stone at the time about her work in The Urban Neurotic. “This seems more personal, but everything is personal. I’m all for it, but I also have my conflicts with it. I’m very committed to expressing myself. Hopefully I’m not a fool for it. Hopefully there’s value in it. Even if it’s just entertaining, that’s okay.”
1980s: From “Reds” to “Baby Boom”
In the 1980s, Keaton appeared opposite Warren Beatty in Reds (which earned her her second Oscar nomination), starred alongside Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek in Crimes of the Heart, and with Albert Finney in Shoot the Moon.
In 1987, she first directed and edited her own documentary, “Heaven,” which explored the possibility of life after death. That same year, she starred in Baby Boom, her first of many collaborations with author Nancy Meyers, whose soulful romantic comedies were a perfect fit for Keaton’s comedic talents. Keaton later worked with Meyers again in Father of the Bride, What Your Heart Desires (another Oscar nomination) and Because I’m a Girl.
1990s: comedy successes and cult status
“Father of the Bride,” released in 1991, was a box office success, and Keaton returned as Nina Banks in 1995’s “Father of the Bride II.” The following year, she cemented her place in cultural memory when she starred as a vengeful divorcée in The She-Devils Club.
Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers called Keaton and her co-stars Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler “a comedic dream team.” The film also gave Keaton a chance to show off her underrated singing talent – the cast sang Leslie Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me” for the end credits.
Roles with heart and depth
Keaton became the go-to actress for family matriarchs and long-suffering wives in subsequent years, with memorable performances in The Other Sister, The Family Stone and Town & Country.
She was rarely seen on television, but portrayed the famous pilot Amelia Earhart in 1994’s “Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight.” The role earned her Emmy and SAG nominations. Keaton preferred light-hearted, uplifting films, often romantic comedies or stories about friendships between women with an optimistic outlook.
Humor as a way of life
“At the beginning of my career I was so panicked – it was too overwhelming,” she once told Interview. “It was really scary, but I did it. When I started the films with Woody [Allen] doing it, I became much more relaxed. It was more relaxed and comedy played a role. I feel more comfortable with comedy. I love being awkward, falling in love and laughing, touching someone’s face and enjoying it. And I love the fun you have in a funny movie.”
Late years and “Book Club” successes
Most recently, Keaton found success with “Book Club” – an unexpected hit that starred her, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen as four friends reading “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
The actresses reunited in 2023 for “Book Club: The Next Chapter,” reminding audiences and Hollywood that there is a market for films about women over 60.
Keaton did extensive press work for the sequel and was often described by journalists as lively, friendly and curious – preferring to ask questions rather than talk about herself.
Joy of life in old age
The quartet recorded the song “Anywhere With You” together – a tribute to their friendship, as Steenburgen explained.
Keaton remained productive into her seventies. “I’ve never understood that you’re supposed to calm down as you get older,” she told AARP in 2012. “Slowing down is not something I can identify with. The goal is to keep going – in good times and bad. Express yourself. Feel the world. Explore. Be with people. Take risks. Love. I just want to know more and see more. The best thing is that I’m still here – and because the end is in sight, I appreciate everything even more.”
Away from the screen: photography, fashion, wine
In addition to her film career, Keaton was a passionate photographer who photographed old hotels in California for ROLLING STONE in the 1970s. These recordings became part of her first book, Reservations (1980).
Keaton owned an impressive real estate collection and renovated historic buildings for decades, including Lloyd Wright’s Samuel Novarro House. Her celebrity clients included Madonna, who bought a $6.5 million Beverly Hills estate from her in 2003.
Style icon with attitude
She became a fashion icon in her own right – recognizable by her masculine suits, hats and her neat, undyed hair. In 2023, she was the face of a J.Crew campaign celebrating the brand’s 40th anniversary.
In 2015, she launched her own affordable red wine, The Keaton, served over ice, as she loved it. “It’s not noble,” she said of the wine. “But I’m not either.”
Author with wit and depth
Over the course of her career, Keaton published several books, beginning with her memoir Then Again (2011). This was followed in 2014 by “Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty,” a collection of wisdom and thoughts about beauty and perception.
In the book, Keaton wrote: “Why do we try to define beauty by categorizing it? Why do we limit it at all? Why is classic beauty the gold standard? And why is gold the gold standard? And what is ‘classic’? What’s so precious about gemstones? Why are diamonds a girl’s best friend? Don’t tell me what beauty is until I know it myself.”
Personality and legacy
Keaton’s vibrant personality was as memorable as her work. She was known for her self-deprecation and once told director Rob Reiner, “I’m not acting, I’m just who I am.”
Despite appearing in dozens of films throughout her career, Keaton refused to be pigeonholed. In 2021, she played a grandmother who begins dating again after her husband’s death in Justin Bieber’s music video “Ghost.” “Am I dreaming???,” Keaton wrote on Instagram. “What an honor to work with Justin Bieber and his incredible team.”
Late honors and fame
Keaton, who was nominated for an Oscar four times, was often celebrated for her unique charisma. In 2017, the American Film Institute honored her with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Warren Beatty raved about his former colleague and former flame at the award ceremony: “If you’re lucky enough to cast Diane, you quickly see the truth in the old axiom that character equals plot. Diane Keaton is a plot. She’s unpredictable, mysterious, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic – always captivating. This woman is a story.”