Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton, one of Hollywood’s most beloved and distinctive stars, has died at the age of 79. A family spokesperson confirmed that Keaton passed away on Saturday in California.
Keaton rose to prominence in the 1970s as Kay Adams-Corleone in The Godfather films, before becoming an icon of American cinema through a string of acclaimed roles. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1978 for her performance in Annie Hall, directed by Woody Allen, a role that also earned her Golden Globe and BAFTA awards. Over a career spanning more than five decades, she was nominated for three additional Oscars for Reds, Marvin’s Room, and Something’s Gotta Give.
Tributes poured in from across the entertainment industry. Goldie Hawn, Keaton’s co-star in The First Wives Club, wrote that she left “a trail of fairy dust, filled with particles of light and memories beyond imagination.” Bette Midler called her “brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary,” adding that she was “a complete original, and completely without guile.”
Steve Martin shared a favorite moment from their time on Father of the Bride, while actor Ben Stiller hailed her as “one of the greatest film actors ever. An icon of style, humor and comedy.” Director Paul Feig praised her kindness and creativity, and Jane Fonda remembered her as a “spark of life and light.”
Born in Los Angeles in 1946, Keaton made her film debut in Lovers and Other Strangers (1970). Her filmography included Manhattan, Play It Again, Sam, The Family Stone, First Wives Club, and the 2024 comedy Summer Camp. She also directed several films, including the 1987 documentary Heaven and the 1995 Cannes-selected Unstrung Heroes.
Off-screen, Keaton became a style icon, known for her trademark menswear and wide-brimmed hats. She never married and was devoted to her two adopted children, Dexter and Duke.
In her 2011 autobiography Then Again, she reflected on her family: “I am totally content whenever the ones I love are happy about something little, big, insignificant, whatever.”
Source: BBC