‘Brilliant, extraordinary’ actress Diane Keaton dies aged 79

Tributes have been paid to the “brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary” actress Diane Keaton, best known for roles in Annie Hall and The Godfather, who has reportedly died at the age of 79.

Keaton’s loved ones have asked for privacy after she died in California, a family spokesperson told US magazine People.

The actress shot to fame in the 1970s with her role as Kay Adams in The Godfather, as well as her collaborations with Woody Allen.

She won an Oscar for Allen’s influential film Annie Hall and became associated with the title character’s menswear-centric wardrobe.

Her many beloved films included The First Wives Club, Father Of The Bride, The Family Stone, Something’s Gotta Give and The Book Club movies.

Her First Wives Club co-star Bette Midler wrote on Instagram: “The brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary Diane Keaton has died. I cannot tell you how unbearably sad this makes me.

“She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star. What you saw was who she was … oh, la, lala!”

Actor Ben Stiller paid tribute on X, writing: “Diane Keaton. One of the greatest film actors ever. An icon of style, humor and comedy. Brilliant. What a person.”

On Instagram, actor Steve Martin posted a screenshot from an Interview magazine article where Martin Short asks: “Who’s sexier, me or Steve Martin?” to which Keaton replies: “I mean, you’re both idiots.”

Captioning the post, Keaton’s Father Of The Bride co-star wrote: “Don’t know who first posted this, but it sums up our delightful relationship with Diane.”

In a tribute on Instagram, actress Viola Davis wrote: “Man … you defined womanhood.

“The pathos, humor, levity, your ever-present youthfulness and vulnerability — you tattooed your SOUL into every role, making it impossible to imagine anyone else inhabiting them.

“You were undeniably, unapologetically YOU!!! Loved you.”

Writing on Instagram, broadcaster Rosie O’Donnell said Keaton’s death “breaks my heart”, adding “what style what grace – she will be missed.”

Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who starred alongside Keaton in Father Of The Bride, said in a tribute on Instagram that working with her “will always be one of the highlights of my life.”

She added: “Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, your talent, and above all, your laughter.”

Director Paul Feig said on X he had been “honoured” to call Keaton a friend, adding: “She was an amazingly kind and creative person who also just happened to be a Hollywood legend.

“She has been taken from us far too soon. We will miss you, Diane.”

Keaton was nominated for Oscars for her roles in Something’s Gotta Give, Marvin’s Room and Reds, in which she starred opposite Warren Beatty.

Her film debut was in 1970’s Lovers and Other Strangers but her big break came in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, as Kay, the girlfriend and then wife of Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone, in 1972.

She reprised her role in 1974’s The Godfather Part II and once more in 1990’s The Godfather Part III.

Much of her career was defined by her many collaborations with Allen, her one-time boyfriend, and Annie Hall was the signature character of her career to many of her fans.

People speculated that the movie was based on Keaton and Allen’s relationship and Keaton told told The New York Times in 1977: “It’s not true, but there are elements of truth in it.”

Keaton won the best actress Oscar for her role in the film.

Other collaborations with Allen included Manhattan, Sleeper, Manhattan Murder Mystery, and Play It Again, Sam.

She remained a supporter of Allen after the accusation by Mia Farrow that he had abused their adopted daughter, Dylan.

Keaton also frequently worked with Nancy Meyers, starting with 1987’s Baby Boom.

Their other films together included 1991’s Father Of The Bride and its 1995 sequel, as well as 2003’s Something’s Gotta Give.

In 1996 she starred opposite Goldie Hawn and Midler in The First Wives Club, about three women whose husbands had left them for younger women.

More recently she collaborated with Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen on The Book Club films.

Bergen said Keaton’s death was “a huge loss both personally and for all of us”.

“Diane was a true artist – tremendously gifted and uniquely talented in so many disciplines yet also modest and wonderfully eccentric.

“I will miss her terribly.”

Keaton never married. She adopted a daughter, Dexter, in 1996 and a son, Duke, four years later.

Her final films were Summer Camp and Arthur’s Whisky in 2024, and it appears she had not started filming anything else.

In December 2024 she released her first ever solo single, a holiday song called First Christmas.

At the time she wrote on Instagram: “The heart of Christmas – to love and to be loved. That’s the message of First Christmas.

“I’m deeply touched by your comments and stories from around the world about First Christmas. Thank you for sharing what this song means to you.”

Her last Instagram post was for National Pet Day in April and featured her dog Reggie.