Moviegoers are among those mourning the loss of Diane Keaton (Jan. 5, 1946-Oct. 11, 2025). Born Diane Hall, the actress, author, photographer, documentarian, and unique fashionista has been a staple in the entertainment industry since 1970 when she landed her first film role in the comedy Lovers and Other Strangers.
The celebrity spinster continued to lend her iconic quirkiness to the female camaraderie comedies The First Wives Club (1996), Hanging Up (2000), Book Club (2018), and her swan song Summer Camp (2024).
Not to be pigeonholed, Keaton also tackled serious roles in the dramas Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), Shoot the Moon (1982), Mrs. Soffel (1984), and Marvin’s Room (1996) which garnered her an Oscar nomination.
Of course, Keaton secured her spot in cinematic history with The Godfather trilogy (1972-1990) and her on (and off) screen teaming with Woody Allen. Their work includes the comedies Play It Again, Sam (1972), Sleeper (1973), Love and Death (1975), Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993), and the Oscar-winning Annie Hall (1977) which established Keaton’s androgynous clothing style and earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress.
In addition to writing and directing the documentary Heaven (1987), the popular performer penned the memoirs “Then Again” (2011) and “Brother & Sister” (2020); a collection of essays entitled “Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty” (2014); and the design books “House” (2012) and “The House That Pinterest Built” (2017).
Prior to entering the publishing world, Keaton portrayed writers on camera, beginning with Manhattan (1979). In the Annie Hall followup, she plays Mary Wilkie, a snobby journalist who gets entangled in a love triangle with comedy writer Isaac Davis (Allen) and his married best friend, college professor Yale Pollack (Michael Murphy). The romantic dramedy received BAFTA wins for Best Picture and Screenplay, with Keaton earning a Best Actress nomination. Her performance also came in fourth place with the National Society of Film Critics .
Like Allen, filmmaker Warren Beatty had a professional and personal relationship with Keaton. The two starred in the well-received biopic Reds (1981) and the infamous flop Town & Country (2001). While arguably overrated, the former film follows the love story between real life activist writers John Reed (Beatty) and Louise Bryant (Keaton). Under Beatty’s direction, the historic epic collected 12 Oscar nominations, including a questionable one for Keaton whose portrayal comes off as a bit too rehearsed and contemporary for the setting. Luckily, Jack Nicholson’s depiction of playwright Eugene O’Neill gives the drama its bite.
Nicholson would again co-star with Keaton in the rom-com Something’s Gotta Give (2003). Following her collaborations with Nancy Meyers—Baby Boom (1987) and Father of the Bride (1991)—this pic was a hit with critics and fans. The box office smash features Keaton at her best. She plays Erica Barry, a Meyers-like writer who falls for a 63-year-old playboy (Nicholson). After getting her heart broken, she makes proverbial lemonade out of lemons by writing a play about their affair.
For her performance, Keaton nabbed another Oscar nomination for Best Actress and won the Golden Globe, the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award, and the Satellite Award. She also merits praise for fueling the best sobbing montage ever recorded on film.
Thanks, Diane, for making us laugh and cry.
