Diane Keaton, the actor beloved for her roles in the “Godfather” films and “Annie Hall,” has died at the age of 79, her daughter confirmed Saturday to NBC News.
Dexter Keaton White said the family is looking for privacy and had no further comment.
Keaton, known for her wit, humor and sparkling charm, was a longtime Hollywood star with a career spanning six decades.
She won the Oscar for her role in Woody Allen’s rom-com “Annie Hall” in 1977 and was nominated three other times for her roles in “Reds,” “Marvin’s Room” and “Something’s Gotta Give.”
Diane Keaton in Los Angeles in 2008.Matt Kent / WireImage
Born in Los Angeles, she studied drama at Santa Ana College and dropped out to pursue acting in New York. She was cast in Woody Allen’s Broadway play “Play It Again, Sam” in 1968, setting her on a course for stardom, according to IMDb.
Her first major big-screen roles came in 1972 with the film version of “Play It Again, Sam” and as Kay Adams in the iconic film “The Godfather.”
Keaton was prolific on the big screen, cementing a name for herself by starring in some of Hollywood’s most beloved films.
She played Nina Banks, the wife of George Banks, played by Steve Martin, in the 1991 film “Father of the Bride” as well as the 1995 sequel “Father of the Bride Part II.” She appeared as Annie MacDuggan Paradis in the 1996 comedy “The First Wives Club” alongside Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler, and played Erica Barry in Nancy Meyers’ 2003 rom-com “Something’s Gotta Give” opposite Jack Nicholson.
She was also beloved for the 2018 comedy movie “Book Club,” which followed the antics of four lifelong friends, played by Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen.
Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in a scene from the 1977 comedy “Annie Hall.”Screen Archives / Getty Images file
Keaton also had the title of director under her belt. She directed the 1991 TV movie “Wildflower,” which starred Reese Witherspoon, then just 15. Witherspoon remembered Keaton as “as one of my first mentors in this business,” while speaking at the Hello Sunshine’s Shine Away event Saturday.
Additionally she directed a 1991 episode of “Twin Peaks,” the 1987 documentary “Heaven,” and the 2000 dramedy “Hanging Up,” which starred Meg Ryan, Lisa Kudrow and herself.
Keaton never married but was romantically linked to Allen, Warren Beatty and Al Pacino.
Reflecting on her romantic life, she told People magazine in 2019: [“I’m not sad] because I think that I needed more of a maternal aspect. … “I don’t think it would have been a good idea for me to have married, and I’m really glad I didn’t, and I’m sure they’re happy about it, too.”
“I’m an odd ball,” she told the magazine. “I remember one day in high school,