Diane Keaton, Oscar-Winning Screen Legend, Dead At 79

Diane Keaton, a legendary actor with an acclaimed filmography spanning more than five decades, has passed away at the age of 79. The news was confirmed by PEOPLE, which reported, "Further details are not available at this time, and her loved ones have asked for privacy, according to a family spokesperson." 

Keaton was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1943. She started acting in school plays at Santa Ana High School before moving to New York City to study acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse. After performing on Broadway throughout the late '60s, she landed her breakout role in 1972 as Kay Adams-Corleone in "The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II." Soon, she was starring in more award-winning films like "Annie Hall" (which she won an Oscar for), "Manhattan," and "Reds." 

Over her lifetime, Keaton starred in over 50 movies, in addition to playing some notable TV roles like Sister Mary Ignatius in 2016's "The Young Pope." She also wrote multiple books over her lifetime, such as her touching 2011 memoir "Then Again," in which she reflected on her relationship with her mother, Dorothy Deanne Keaton, who herself passed away from Alzheimer's disease in 2008.  

Though most famous for her acting, Keaton also had a career as photographer and director. "I'm addicted to photographs and photography books. I have a big, huge wall with all these photographs, just things that I have grabbed around," as she explained to The Hollywood Reporter in 2023. Over time, she directed multiple music videos for Belinda Carlisle, called the shots on an episode of "Twin Peaks," and even helmed her own feature film ("Unstrung Heroes") in 1995.

Outside of her artistry, Keaton worked alongside activist groups like the Los Angeles Conservatory, helping to preserve historic buildings in the LA area. In 2005, she started contributing to The Huffington Post, often writing candidly about plastic surgery and the issues aging women face in Hollywood. In a 2011 Huffpost article, Keaton wrote about how it felt turning 60, admitting that it wasn't as scary as she expected it to be:

"A sense of freedom is something that, happily, comes with age and life experience. In 'The Second Sex,' Simone de Beauvior says that as they approach 50, a lot of women are set free from the anxiety and the mortification and the humiliation of intimate relationships with men — the opposite sex. For some reason, you are suddenly free from it. And thank god for that. It's the upside of sticking around this long."

Keaton is survived by her two children, Dexter and Duke. Rest in peace, Diane Keaton. You will be missed.