Diane Keaton, the Oscar-winning star of Annie Hall, The Godfather, and Something’s Gotta Give, has passed away at the age of 79.
People was the first to report Keaton’s death, reporting that she died in California, though further details are not currently available. A family spokesperson has said that family is asking for privacy at this time.
Keaton, born January 5, 1946, began her acting career on Broadway, including starring in the 1969 production of Woody Allen’s Play It Again, Sam as Linda, a role that she would reprise in the film adaptation in 1972. That was Keaton’s breakout year in film, as she also starred as Kay Adams in The Godfather.
The first few years of Keaton’s career would be defined by her role in The Godfather – returning for The Godfather Part II in 1974 – and her collaborations with Allen. Over the course of her career, Keaton starred in eight of Allen’s movies, including Sleeper, Love and Death, Interiors, Manhattan, and most notably, Annie Hall, for which Keaton won her Oscar for Best Actress.
Annie Hall is not only one of the defining roles of Keaton’s career, but in all of Hollywood history. Allen modeled Annie Hall after Keaton, and the character’s style instantly became iconic (and something that Keaton would emulate for much of her life), as did her line “La-di-da.”
Keaton would receive four Oscar nominations over the course of her career. In addition to Annie Hall, she was nominated for Reds, Marvin’s Room, and Something’s Gotta Give; all were for Best Actress. She also earned an Emmy nomination for playing Amelia Earhart in Amelia: Earhart: The Final Flight. In 2017, she was honored with the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Other notable Diane Keaton movies include the Father of the Bride movies, The First Wives Club, The Family Stone, Book Club, and Maybe I Do. She was most recently seen on screen in the 2024 comedy Summer Camp. She was reportedly set to star in a new movie, Constance, announced in 2024, though the status of that project is unknown at this time.
Outside of movies, Keaton has published multiple memoirs – Then Again, Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty, and Brother and Sister. She published a book of her photography work, titled Reservations. She was also active in current trends, appearing in the Justin Bieber music video Ghost and having an active Instagram account.
Keaton never married, but she is survived by her two adopted children, daughter Dexter and son Duke.