‘La-Dee-Da’ dame of Hollywood, Diane Keaton, dies

By Dan Heching, CNN

(CNN) — Diane Keaton, known for her unique brand of comedic timing and inimitable style, has died. Stars from Goldie Hawn to Bette Midler to Steve Martin expressed their love of the actor after hearing the news, paying tribute to “just a truly original person,” as Reese Witherspoon put it.

“It’s hard to believe,” said Jane Fonda in a tribute.

Keaton was 79, and the cause of her death was not immediately available. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department told CNN that they received a call for medical assistance on Saturday morning at Keaton’s address and paramedics transferred a person to a hospital. A law enforcement source confirmed the person transported was Keaton.

Keaton was a celebrated and prolific actor whose career spanned decades, early on earning an Academy Award in the best actress category for 1977’s “Annie Hall.” The film showcased Keaton’s abilities in the realm of comedy but also displayed her nimble handling of authentic and vulnerable moments.

An undeniable comedic talent who said in 1997 that she’s “more inclined to live comfortably in the world of humor,” Keaton nonetheless also made her mark in a number of dramatic movies – including a pivotal role in Francis Ford Coppola’s acclaimed “Godfather” films, in which she played Kay, wife to Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone.

Starting out

Keaton, who bore no relation to Buster or Michael, was born Diane Hall in 1946 in Los Angeles. In a 2004 “Fresh Air” podcast, she talked about how her mother, a homemaker and amateur photographer, won pageants and became Mrs. Highland Park and later Mrs. Los Angeles, which first gave her the urge to perform.

“I did want to go on stage, I saw that that was something that did appeal to me,” she said. “There she was in the theater, and I saw the curtain open and there was my mother, and I thought, ‘Hm, I think I’d like that for myself.’”

After finding her place on the theater stage in the late 1960s in a Broadway production of “Hair” – in which she gained some notoriety for declining to perform nude for one of the musical numbers and thereby forewent a sizable (at the time) $50 bonus – Keaton burst onto the film scene with the first “Godfather” film in 1972, going on to appear in several films throughout the decade opposite the writer and director Woody Allen, who was also her romantic partner around that time.

The films they acted in together include Allen’s “Sleeper” and “Play It Again Sam,” but it was her star turn in “Annie Hall,” in which she played the joyous and carefree titular character who falls in love with Allen’s bumbling, self-hating comedian, that would prove most memorable.

Leading lady

From there, Keaton enjoyed leading star-status in a fair share of notable films, including 1977’s “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” and 1981’s “Reds” opposite Warren Beatty, a film that scored multiple Oscar nods including another one for her.

Another classic film starring Keaton from the ’80s era was 1987’s “Baby Boom,” which featured her as a high-powered ad exec who suddenly finds herself saddled with the infant of a dead long-lost relative. The fish-out-of-water comedy costarred Sam Shepard and reminded audiences of Keaton’s deft skills at leading a movie that mixed the funny with the dramatic and thought-provoking.

Later in the decade, Keaton earned a third Oscar nom for the tearjerker “Marvin’s Room,” in which she starred opposite Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio. The film tells the story of an estranged pair of sisters who reunite to grapple with their past as well as the onset of illness.

Far from slowing down

Keaton was featured in several more acclaimed movies in the aughts – including the 2003 rom-com “Something’s Gotta Give” opposite Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves, in which she scored her fourth lead actor Academy Award nod – as well as “The Family Stone” from 2005, a modern-day Christmas classic with Keaton in the role of a matriarch who unwittingly helps her children find the partners they belong with.

She also starred in the comedy “Summer Camp” alongside Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard last year and had a few titles in the works – including a film with Blake Lively and Richard Gere, according to her IMDb.

Keaton was also an accomplished producer and director. She helmed the acclaimed 1995 drama “Unstrung Heroes” starring Andie MacDowell, as well as “Hanging Up” in 2000. Her producing credits span over 30 years, with the most recent being an executive producer credit on 2023’s “Maybe I Do,” which starred Keaton, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and Emma Roberts.

Unapologetically independent

Keaton never married, and had been outspoken about her thinking on the topic, saying it goes back to her mother, as “most everything does.”

“She had four kids, and I was the firstborn. I saw how much she gave up,” Keaton said in a 2021 piece for Interview. “I feel like she chose family over her dreams. And she was just the best mother, but I think that she is the reason why I didn’t get married. I didn’t want to give up my independence.”

With her trademark humor, Keaton added, “By the way, no one has ever asked me to marry them, either, so that might be a good answer. I should’ve started with that and called it a day.”

Keaton is survived by her two children, daughter Dexter, and son Duke. She adopted them both in her 50s.

When she was 69, Keaton told AARP Magazine, “At this age, everything seems much more astonishing. Like, Oh my goodness, look at that sycamore tree! Why didn’t I see that before? There’s a magical aspect, a wonder, to being on this planet.”

Keaton’s death was first reported by People magazine. CNN has reached out to her representatives, who have not replied. Producer Dori Rath, who worked with Keaton, confirmed the actress had died to CNN on Saturday.

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