Washington, DC [US], October 13 : Oscar-winning filmmaker Woody Allen paid tribute to Hollywood legend Diane Keaton, who died at the age of 79.
"It's grammatically incorrect to say 'most unique,' but all rules of grammar, and I guess anything else, are suspended when talking about Diane Keaton," writes Allen about the Oscar-winning actress and style icon. "Unlike anyone the planet has experienced or is unlikely to ever see again, her face and laugh illuminated any space she entered," as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Allen recalled his meeting with Keaton while they were working on the 1969 play 'Play it Again, Sam'. "She was shy, I was shy, and with two shy people, things can get pretty dull," said Allen.
They shared lunch during a break in rehearsals. He added, "That was our first moment of personal contact. The upshot is that she was so charming, so beautiful, so magical, that I questioned my sanity. I thought: Could I be in love so quickly?"
The two quickly became a couple, and Keaton was the first person Allen would show his work to, with her opinion the only one that mattered.
"I never read a single review of my work and cared only what Keaton had to say about it. If she liked it, I counted the film as an artistic success. If she was less than enthusiastic, I tried to use her criticism to reedit and come away with something she felt better about," he wrote, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Allen praised her, saying, she "also wrote books and did photography, made collages, decorated homes, and directed films," as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
For many years, Keaton was Allen's artistic muse, appearing in several of his films, including her titular, Oscar-winning turn in Annie Hall, which won her the Oscar. She starred in a total of 8 of Allen's films, including the film version Play It Again, Sam (1972), Sleeper (1973), Love and Death (1975), Interiors (1978), Manhattan (1979), Radio Days (1987) and Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993).
Allen presented Keaton with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2017, saying, "Much of what I've accomplished in my life I owe, for sure, to her. Seeing life through her eyes. She really is astonishing. This is a woman who is great at everything she does," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Born Diane Hall in Los Angeles in 1946, Keaton was the oldest of four children. Her father was a civil engineer, and her mother, who stayed at home, inspired Keaton's creative side. "She sang. She played the piano. She was beautiful. She was my advocate," Keaton once told People.
Keaton started acting in school plays and later studied drama in college before dropping out to move to New York. She adopted her mother's maiden name, Keaton, when she began her career in theatre.
Her first major break came with 'The Godfather' (1972), in which she played Kay Adams opposite Al Pacino. She went on to reprise the role in 'The Godfather Part II' and 'The Godfather Part III.' In 1977, Keaton won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Woody Allen's Annie Hall.
Over the decades, she became one of Hollywood's most respected stars, appearing in beloved films like 'The First Wives Club,' 'Father of the Bride,' 'Baby Boom,' and 'Something's Gotta Give,' which earned her another Oscar nomination.
She often worked with directors Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, and Nancy Meyers.Keaton also directed several projects, including the 1987 documentary 'Heaven' and the feature film 'Hanging Up' in 2000. In recent years, she appeared in 'Book Club' and its sequel, as well as Justin Bieber's 2021 music video for 'Ghost.'
Though she never married, Keaton was romantically linked to Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, and Woody Allen. She adopted two children, daughter Dexter in 1996 and son Duke in 2001, who survive her.
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