The quirky, talented actress Diane Keaton has passed away at the age of 79. No other details surrounding her death are available at this time. Her family has asked for privacy as they mourn her death. She first came to the public light playing Al Pacino’s wife Kay in The Godfather trilogy.
But she rose to fame in a string of Woody Allen movies, usually playing a clumsy, awkward, lovable character. Keaton, Allen’s partner for a time, starred in eight of his films, most famously winning an Oscar for Best Actress for her phenomenal work in 1977’s Annie Hall.
Keaton Had Humble Beginnings
Diane Hall was born in Los Angeles, California, on January 5, 1946. Her mother was named Mrs. Los Angeles, and Keaton claimed it lit the spark for her to become an actress. She performed in concerts and musicals at Santa Ana High School and attended Santa Ana and Orange Coast Colleges, but dropped out to seek her fame on Broadway. She changed her name to Keaton when she joined the Actors’ Equity Union.
She sang in nightclubs and studied her trade at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. She performed on Broadway briefly, and while there, she auditioned for Woody Allen for his original production, Play It Again Sam. She was nominated for a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her work. She went on to play minor roles in movies and on television, as well as performing in commercials, when she received her big break when she was cast as Kay Adams in The Godfather.
The Godfather Sent Her Career Into Orbit
The Godfather won the 1972 Academy Award for Best Picture, and her career took off from there. She went on to star in such Allen films as “Sleeper,” “Interiors,” “Manhattan,” and, of course, “Annie Hall.” Other roles included a teacher with a dark side in 1977’s Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and journalist Louise Bryant in Warren Beatty’s epic Reds, which earned her a second Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture.
She also starred in The Godfather Part II and III, Father of the Bride, and its sequel, First Wives Club, an Oscar-nominated turn in Marvin’s Room, and opposite Jack Nicholson in Something’s Gotta Give. She also directed music videos for Belinda Carlisle and Justin Bieber, episodes of the television shows China Beach and Twin Peaks, and a handful of movies.
Personal Life and Activities
Keaton dated several of her co-stars, including Allen, Pacino, and Beatty, but never married. She adopted two children, a daughter in 1996 and a son in 2001, and she loved being a mother. She published several books of her photography, took an interest in historic preservation, and dabbled in commercial real estate.
Ms. Keaton is survived by her children, her son Duke (35), and daughter Dexter (29).
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