Diane Keaton, whose easy naturalism made her an ideal foil to so many live-wire actors of the Seventies in motion pictures similar to “The Godfather,” “The Godfather Half II” and “Annie Corridor,” has died. She was 79.
Her dying 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 several 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 nicely, 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 Los Angeles in 1946, Keaton got here to prominence after her late-Sixties New York stage profession, coupled with nightclub singing and performing 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 motion pictures — together with lots 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 title (she was born Diane Corridor and sometimes glided by Annie), together with a number of of her private quirks, mined by a doting Allen, who was at one time her romantic associate. Other than the important raves and awards, although, the movie made her a trend icon through Annie’s fedora hats, vests, ties and saggy pants. The Occasions as soon as known as her look “fluttery, weak, virtually unbearably lovable.”
“Annie’s model was Diane’s model — very eclectic,” designer Ralph Lauren stated 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 acquired uninterested in the notoriety “Annie Corridor” introduced her, together with the journal covers, suppose items and trend homages.
“No, I’m not. All the things is due to ‘Annie Corridor’ with Woody. He has an awesome ear for girls’s voices. I’m so grateful to him; he actually gave me a chance that modified my life,” she instructed The Occasions 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 way in which 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” motion pictures. Initially naive to the prison 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 Growth,” through which she performed a profitable businesswoman who upends her life to take care of 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 dying.
“Diane Keaton has left us and I can’t inform you 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 gentle 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 inform you how unbearably unhappy this makes me. She was hilarious, an entire authentic, and fully 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 in addition gained be aware as a champion of structure preservation, remaking grand properties throughout the area. In collaboration with the Los Angeles Public Library, she edited a e-book of tabloid photographs known as “Native Information” that ran within the Los Angeles Herald-Specific.
In a 2018 interview with The Occasions, she stated she felt privileged to nonetheless be working.
“I do know what I’m by now,” she stated. “I understand how outdated I’m. I do know what my limitations are and what I can and may’t do. So if one thing appeals to me, I’m undoubtedly going to go for it.”
She grew up in Santa Ana through the post-World Battle II housing increase within the Nineteen Fifties and instructed The Occasions in an interview that she cherished going to open homes together with her father.
“My father took me to see mannequin properties, which I believed have been palaces,” Keaton stated.
She started shopping for and fixing up landmark properties round L.A., particularly these of the Spanish Colonial model.
“It’s a must to get to know a home and attempt to preserve its integrity. I attempt to honor the architect,” she stated. “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 stated.
Explaining how she got here to edit the e-book of L.A. tabloid photographs, Keaton instructed The Occasions an L.A. metropolis librarian got here as much as her at a swap meet.
The librarian stated, “‘There’s these recordsdata within the basement of the Central Library’ — essentially the most stunning constructing. I took a glance. There are books and books to be made out of these pictures. It is a good archive.”
In recent times, Keaton had turn into successful on Instagram, posting photographs of structure, trend and extra. In an interview in 2019, she stated she was nonetheless very lively, desirous to work and take a look at new issues, however was additionally considering extra about her mortality.
“After all, you concentrate on it. How will you not?” she stated. “I imply, I’m 73. How lengthy do you reside? It’s actually vital what these years are like.”
Keaton’s private life was generally fodder for the gossip pages, together with her being linked romantically to Beatty and Pacino.
She by no means married and in a 2013 interview with The Occasions stated she didn’t see nuptials in her future — and was advantageous with that. She is survived by two adopted kids, Duke and Dexter Keaton.
Occasions workers writers Shelby Grad, Summer season Lin and Cary Schneider contributed to this report.
