CALIFORNIA – Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton, known for her iconic performances in “Annie Hall” and “The Godfather” films, has died at age 79 in California.
The beloved actress, whose quirky style and infectious smile captivated audiences for decades, passed away on Saturday, 11 October, according to People magazine. Her family has requested privacy, and details surrounding her death were not immediately available.
Keaton won an Academy Award for her performance as the titular character in Woody Allen’s 1977 film “Annie Hall,” which also earned Oscars for best picture, best director and best original screenplay. The role cemented her status as one of Hollywood’s leading actresses and established her as a fashion icon.
Distinguished film career
The actress made her mark co-starring in eight Allen films, from “Play It Again, Sam” (1972) to “Manhattan” (1979) and “Manhattan Murder Mystery” (1993). In “The Godfather” trilogy, she portrayed Kay Adams, the girlfriend and eventual wife of Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone.
Fans also adored her portrayal as Steve Martin’s wife in the 1991 comedy “Father of the Bride,” as the nervous and doting couple planning an extravagant wedding for their daughter.
Later in her career, Keaton starred in films about ageing women, including “Book Club” (2018) and “Poms” (2019).
A BAFTA and Golden Globe winner, Keaton received Oscar nominations three other times for “Reds,” “Marvin’s Room” and “Something’s Gotta Give.”
‘A complete original’
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences paid tribute to Keaton, saying: “Some actors play emotions. Diane Keaton lived inside them.”
In 2017, she was honoured with a Life Achievement Award by the American Film Institute, which called her “unconventional, iconoclastic and left-of-centre.”
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Actress Andie MacDowell, who starred in “Unstrung Hero” (1995), one of the films Keaton directed, said: “I feel so lucky to have spent any time with this marvellous woman, and I’m heartbroken that she is gone.”
Bette Midler, who starred alongside Keaton in “The First Wives Club,” described her as “hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star. What you saw was who she was…oh, la, lala!”
Personal life
Born Diane Hall in Los Angeles on 5 January 1946, Keaton was romantically involved with Allen, Pacino and Warren Beatty, but never married.
“Most people in the movies get married at some point and then they divorce. But I’ve never even got married. I am a failure,” she once joked.
When asked if she regretted it, she said: “I don’t think about it a lot but I’m aware of the fact that I’m unusual in that regard, and maybe I did miss out on something – but then, nobody can have everything, right?”
She is survived by her two children, Dexter and Duke.
