Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton, whose signature mix of wit, warmth, and eccentric style made her one of Hollywood’s most beloved figures, has died at 79, RadarOnline.com can report.
A family spokesperson confirmed the legendary actress died in California, asking for privacy as loved ones mourn her passing.
Keaton rose to fame as Kay Adams in The Godfather (1972).
Keaton’s decades-long career spanned film, theater, and fashion, but she remains best known for her Academy Award-winning performance in Woody Allen’s 1977 romantic comedy Annie Hall. Her portrayal of the charming, idiosyncratic title character opposite Allen’s Alvy Singer helped redefine the modern romantic heroine and cemented her as an icon of 1970s cinema.
Before becoming a household name, Keaton established herself on Broadway in 1969, starring alongside Allen in his hit comedy Play It Again, Sam. The pair, who also became romantically involved during the production, later brought the show to the screen in 1972, where Keaton’s comedic timing and effortless chemistry with Allen drew critical praise.
Keaton became a fashion icon, famous for her quirky menswear-inspired style.
Keaton’s film career quickly took off. In Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), Keaton portrayed Kay Adams, the conflicted wife of mob boss Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino.
Her nuanced performance in those landmark films revealed the depth and emotional range that would define her career.
She continued her creative partnership with Allen throughout the 1970s, co-starring in his futuristic satire Sleeper (1973) and literary spoof Love and Death (1975). Yet it was Annie Hall that transformed both their careers. The unconventional love story swept the 1978 Oscars, winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay — with Keaton taking home Best Actress.
Her quirky fashion sense, characterized by bowler hats, ties, and vintage menswear, became a cultural phenomenon and inspired generations of women.
Annie Hall earned Keaton the Academy Award for Best Actress.
In a 1970s New Yorker profile, Penelope Gilliatt described Keaton as entirely singular, writing, “She is not at all like the many actresses who have skimmed some mannerisms off her and done insultingly mild imitations by relying on ‘Well’s and dither.” Keaton told Gilliatt, “I’ve noticed people saying ‘La-di-da’ like Annie Hall, and I don’t like it, you know? … I’d like a life like Katharine Hepburn’s in terms of work. She matured. She made the changes.”
Though often associated with her Annie Hall persona, Keaton proved her versatility in darker, dramatic roles such as Richard Brooks’ Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), Allen’s Interiors (1978), and Manhattan (1979), confirming her place among the most accomplished actresses of her generation.
