Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton, beloved for her roles in films like “Annie Hall,” “Father of the Bride” and “The First Wives Club,” has died. She was 79 years old.
Keaton died on Saturday in California, People reported, citing a family spokesman, who declined to provide further details on the matter. Her cause of death was not disclosed.
Keaton shot to fame in the 1970s thanks to her work opposite Al Pacino in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather,” a Best Picture winner at the Oscars. She also reprised her role as Michael Corleone’s wife in 1974’s “The Godfather Part II,” which similarly won Best Picture, and she returned for 1990’s “The Godfather Part III,” the last film of the franchise.
“I think the kindest thing that someone’s ever done for me … is that I got cast to be in ‘The Godfather’ and I didn’t even read it. I didn’t know a single thing,” she told People in 2022. “I just was going around auditioning. I think that was amazing for me.”
Keaton cemented her superstar status with an Academy Award-winning turn in 1977’s “Annie Hall,” which was written and directed by her frequent collaborator — and one-time boyfriend — Woody Allen. The film, which also won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, is believed to be largely inspired by Keaton’s life, all the way down to her snappy menswear wardrobe.
Keaton was born in Los Angeles in 1946 as Diane Hall. She was the oldest of four daughters, and her father worked as a civil engineer, while her mom stayed at home. She began performing in plays in high school and pursued drama in college, though she quickly dropped out and moved to New York.
In 1968, Keaton was cast in Broadway’s “Hair” as the understudy for Sheila, and then in Allen’s show “Play It Again, Sam,” which premiered the following year. She earned a Tony nomination for that performance.
Keaton went on to team up with Allen for 1978’s “Interiors,” 1979’s” Manhattan” and 1993’s “Manhattan Murder Mystery.” She defended Allen in the wake of sexual abuse allegations from his stepdaughter Dylan Farrow.
She also had multiple collaborations with director Nancy Meyers with the “Book Club” franchise. Some of her other film credits include “Looking for Mr. Goodbar,” “Reds,” “Shoot the Moon,” “The Little Drummer Girl,” “Baby Boom” and “Somethings Gotta Give,” the latter of which earned her an Oscar nomination in 2004.
Keaton also famously starred alongside Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler in the 1996 film, “The First Wives Club,” which tells the story of three women seeking revenge on the husbands who left them for younger women.
Later roles for the beloved actress included “The Family Stone,” “Because I Said So,” “Finding Dory,” and “Poms.” And in 2016, she made a rare TV appearance with a starring role in the HBO miniseries “The Young Pope.”
Keaton also occasionally stepped behind the camera. In addition to 1995’s “Unstrung Heroes” and 2000’s “Hanging Up” — the latter of which she starred in alongside Lisa Kudrow and Meg Ryan — she also directed several music videos for Belinda Carlisle.
According to IMDb, she had three acting projects in pre-production at the time of her death.
Keaton is survived by her two children, daughter Dexter and son Duke, whom she adopted in 1996 and 2001, respectively.
Originally Published: October 11, 2025 at 3:19 PM EDT
