Diane Keaton (1946-2025)
The renowned actress Diane Keaton, famous for her Oscar-winning performance in "Annie Hall" and her iconic roles in "The Godfather" and "The First Wives Club," passed away on 11th October 2025. She was 79. Contrary to the belief, Diane has no relation to actor Michael Keaton or the late silent comedian Buster Keaton.
Born in Los Angeles on 5th January 1946, Diane Hall - better known as Keaton - grew up in Southern California before moving to New York to study acting at the Neighbourhood Playhouse. She began her career on Broadway as an understudy in "Hair" before making her film debut in "Lovers and Other Strangers" in 1970.
Two years later, she made headlines with her breakthrough role as Kay Adams in "The Godfather," a performance that catapulted her into international stardom. Keaton established her reputation through her collaborations with Woody Allen, beginning with "Sleeper" and "Play It Again, Sam." However, it was her performance as the joyous and carefree titular character in "Annie Hall," who falls in love with Allen's bumbling, self-hating comedian, that proved most memorable. This role earned her an Oscar for Best Actress.
Following this, Keaton enjoyed her stardom in such notable films, including 1977's "Looking for Mr Goodbar" and 1981's "Reds," the latter opposite Warren Beatty. The film received multiple Oscar nominations, including another one for Diane Keaton. Keaton starred in another 1980s classic film, 1987's "Baby Boom," playing a hard-working advertising executive who suddenly becomes a guardian of a baby left to her by a deceased long-lost relative.
In the 1990s, Keaton partnered with Hollywood heavyweights Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn on the 1996 smash-hit comedy "The First Wives Club," in which a group of women plot their revenge on their unfaithful husbands. Towards this decade's end, Keaton received her third Oscar nomination for the emotional drama "Marvin's Room," alongside Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio.
In the noughties, Keaton appeared in several more critically acclaimed films, including the 2003 romantic comedy "Something's Gotta Give," in which she starred alongside Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves. For her performance in this film, she received her fourth Oscar nomination for Best Actress. She also appeared in the 2005 film "The Family Stone," a modern-day Christmas classic in which she played a matriarch who unwittingly helps her children find their soulmates. Recent roles include the 2018 film "The Book Club," alongside Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen, as well as its sequel in 2023. Earlier this year, her last movie, Summer Camp, premiered.
Not only was she a talented actress, but she also played a crucial role in the creative side of filmmaking. Her first foray into directing came with the 1987 documentary "Heaven," which explored the concept of an afterlife. She subsequently directed an episode of the second season of "Twin Peaks," the 1995 critically acclaimed drama "Unstrung Heroes," and the 2000 comedy drama "Hanging Up." She also directed several music videos of Belinda Carlisle, highlighting her artistic range.
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