Diane Keaton, whose easy naturalism made her an ideal foil to so many live-wire actors of the Nineteen Seventies in films reminiscent of “The Godfather,” “The Godfather Half II” and “Annie Corridor,” has died. She was 79.
Her loss of life was first reported by Individuals and confirmed by the New York Occasions.
In a rare run through the period when she was dominant, Keaton’s profession spanned the excessive factors of American cinema: Francis Ford Coppola’s Mafia saga and a number of other of Woody Allen’s urbane comedies, climaxing in an Oscar win for her culture-changing flip because the title character in 1977’s “Annie Corridor.” Her catchphrase, “Oh effectively, la-di-da, la-di-da,” grew to become iconic.
Over her profession, she obtained 4 Oscar nominations for lead actress, profitable for “Annie Corridor.”
Born in Southern California, Keaton got here to prominence after her late-Sixties New York stage profession, coupled with nightclub singing and appearing research on the ensemble-focused Neighborhood Playhouse, led her to audition for Allen’s 1969 theatrical manufacturing of “Play It Once more, Sam,” which introduced her a Tony nomination earlier than the age of 25.
However the true prize could be her prolonged collaboration with Allen, which resulted in eight films — together with most of the “earlier, funnier ones,” per Allen’s personal self-deprecating phrase in “Stardust Recollections” — such because the movie model of “Play It Once more, Sam” (1972), “Sleeper” (1973) and “Love and Dying” (1975).
Concerning her most lasting creation, Keaton lent “Annie Corridor” her precise identify (she was born Diane Corridor and infrequently glided by Annie), together with a number of of her private quirks, mined by a doting Allen, who was at one time her romantic companion. Aside from the crucial raves and awards, although, the movie made her a style icon by way of Annie’s fedora hats, vests, ties and dishevelled pants. The Occasions as soon as referred to as her look “fluttery, weak, nearly unbearably cute.”
“Annie’s fashion was Diane’s fashion — very eclectic,” designer Ralph Lauren said in a 1978 story in Vogue, quickly after the film got here out. “She had a mode that was all her personal. Annie Corridor was pure Diane Keaton.”
She was usually requested if she bought bored with the notoriety “Annie Corridor” introduced her, together with the journal covers, suppose items and style homages.
“No, I’m not. Every little thing is due to ‘Annie Corridor’ with Woody. He has an important ear for ladies’s voices. I’m so grateful to him; he actually gave me a possibility that modified my life,” she told The Times in 2012. “I’m by no means disillusioned about individuals speaking to me about ‘Annie Corridor.’ However I’ll say, lots of people don’t know ‘Annie Corridor’ exists, and that’s simply the best way it goes — goodbye! It’s bittersweet.”
In counterpoint to her ’70s comedian work, Keaton made a dramatic impression as Michael Corleone’s girlfriend and spouse Kay in three “Godfather” films. Initially naive to the felony facet of the clan (“That’s not me, Kay, that’s my household,” Al Pacino’s Michael tells her within the first movie’s opening wedding ceremony sequence), Keaton’s character turns into our surrogate, ultimately pushing again and leaning into her energy within the 1974 sequel. Kay is notable for including dimension and pathos to the compromises of a mob spouse, years earlier than “Goodfellas” or “The Sopranos.”
Keaton managed to seize the cultural zeitgeist in her later movies, particularly in 4 impeccably styled collaborations with the writer-director-producer Nancy Meyers, for whom she grew to become a muse. First got here 1987’s “Child Increase,” by which she performed a profitable businesswoman who upends her life to look after a relative’s toddler. After two “Father of the Bride” movies, Keaton gained acclaim and a fourth Oscar nomination in Meyers’ “One thing’s Gotta Give” reverse Jack Nicholson as a profitable author navigating romance in her 50s.
Keaton additionally obtained Oscar nominations for Warren Beatty’s “Reds” (1981) and the drama “Marvin’s Room” (1996).
Nancy Sinatra, singer and daughter of Frank Sinatra, posted about Keaton’s loss of life.
“Diane Keaton has left us and I can’t let you know how profoundly unhappy that makes me. I adored her — idolized her,” Sinatra wrote on X. “She was a really particular particular person and an extremely gifted actor, who made every of her roles unforgettable. Her mild will proceed to shine via the artwork she leaves behind. Godspeed, Diane. My coronary heart goes out to her household and to every of us grieving this heartbreaking loss.”
Posting on Instagram, Keaton’s “The First Wives Membership” co-star Bette Midler wrote, “The good, stunning, extraordinary Diane Keaton has died. I can’t let you know how unbearably unhappy this makes me. She was hilarious, a whole authentic, and utterly with out guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have anticipated from such a star. What you noticed was who she was…oh, la, lala!”
Keaton was a patron of the L.A. arts scene and likewise gained observe as a champion of structure preservation, remaking grand properties throughout the area. In collaboration with the Los Angeles Public Library, she edited a ebook of tabloid pictures referred to as “Native Information” that ran within the Los Angeles Herald-Categorical.
In a 2018 interview with The Occasions, she mentioned she felt privileged to nonetheless be working.
“I do know what I’m by now,” she mentioned. “I understand how previous I’m. I do know what my limitations are and what I can and might’t do. So if one thing appeals to me, I’m positively going to go for it.”
She grew up in Santa Ana through the post-World Warfare II housing increase within the Nineteen Fifties and instructed The Occasions in an interview that she beloved going to open homes along with her father.
“My father took me to see mannequin properties, which I believed have been palaces,” Keaton mentioned.
She started shopping for and fixing up landmark properties round L.A., particularly these of the Spanish Colonial fashion.
“You must get to know a home and attempt to maintain its integrity. I attempt to honor the architect,” she mentioned. “I like to enter an empty home. You have a look at the home and begin to really feel what it’d want.”
“There are such a lot of home treasures, unsung gems, throughout Los Angeles,” she mentioned.
Explaining how she got here to edit the ebook of L.A. tabloid pictures, Keaton instructed The Occasions an L.A. metropolis librarian got here as much as her at a swap meet.
The librarian said, “‘There’s these information within the basement of the Central Library’ — probably the most stunning constructing. I took a glance. There are books and books to be made out of these photographs. It is a good archive.”
In recent times, Keaton had become a hit on Instagram, posting pictures of structure, style and extra. In an interview in 2019, she mentioned she was nonetheless very energetic, wanting to work and check out new issues, however was additionally pondering extra about her mortality.
“After all, you consider it. How will you not?” she mentioned. “I imply, I’m 73. How lengthy do you reside? It’s actually necessary what these years are like.”
Keaton’s private life was typically fodder for the gossip pages, along with her being linked romantically to Beatty and Pacino.
She by no means married and in a 2013 interview with The Occasions mentioned she didn’t see nuptials in her future — and was tremendous with that. She is survived by two adopted kids, Duke and Dexter Keaton.
Occasions employees writers Shelby Grad, Summer season Lin and Cary Schneider contributed to this report.
