Oscar-Winning ‘Annie Hall‘ Actress Diane Keaton Dies at 79
Diane Keaton, the academy Award-winning star of “Annie Hall” and a defining actress of her generation, has died at the age of 79. News of her passing prompted an outpouring of tributes recognizing a career spanning decades and marked by iconic roles, a distinctive personal style, and a willingness to defy Hollywood convention.
Keaton’s death marks the end of an era for American cinema. Her influence extends beyond her numerous film credits, impacting fashion trends – most recently inspiring the “coastal grandma” aesthetic with her role in “Something’s Gotta Give” – and inspiring generations of actors with her unconventional approach to stardom. Her legacy will continue through her extensive filmography and her candid memoirs, offering insight into a life lived authentically on and off screen.
Born Diane Hall in 1946, Keaton rose to prominence in the 1970s, initially gaining attention for her work on stage before transitioning to film. Her breakthrough role came in 1971 with “Lovers and Other Strangers,” followed by a string of successful films including “Sleeper” (1973) and “Play It Again, Sam” (1972), both alongside Woody Allen.
It was her collaboration with Allen on 1977’s “Annie Hall” that cemented her status as a major star, earning her the Academy Award for Best Actress. Despite the film’s mixed reception at the time, Pauline Kael described Keaton’s performance as a “glorious comedy performance that rides over many of the inanities.”
Keaton continued a prolific career, co-starring with Steve Martin in the 1991 remake of “Father of the Bride,” which spawned a sequel. In 2003,she starred in “Something’s Gotta Give,” directed by Nancy Meyers,a romantic comedy that earned her a final Oscar nomination and became a personal favorite. She shared the screen with Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves in the film, and her character’s Hamptons home and ivory outfits sparked the recent ”coastal grandma” fashion trend.
Throughout the 2000s, Keaton delivered memorable performances in films like “The family Stone,” “Morning Glory,” and the “Book Club” films. Beyond acting, she authored several books, including memoirs “Than Again” and ”Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty,” and an art and design book, “The House that Pinterest Built.”
In 2017, Keaton was honored with an AFI Life Achievement award, describing the event as “the wedding I never had, or the big gathering I never had, or the retirement party I never had, or all these things that I always avoided – the big bash.” She received a hand and footprint ceremony outside the TCL Chinese theatre in Los Angeles in 2022, accompanied by her children.
“I don’t think about my film legacy,” she said at the event. “I’m just lucky to have been here at all in any way, shape or form. I’m just fortunate. I don’t see myself anything other than that.”
Details regarding memorial arrangements have not yet been announced.
