Diane Keaton, quirky and iconic actress known for “Annie Hall” and “The Godfather,” dies at 79

Diane KeatonThe offbeat actress known for her roles in the films “Annie Hall,” “The Godfather” and “Father of the Bride” has died at age 79, Dori Rath, Keaton’s producer and friend, confirmed to CBS News in a phone call Saturday.

Additional information was not immediately available. Keaton’s family, which did not respond to requests from CBS News, has not released a statement and does not plan to do so today, according to Rath.

People Magazine, which first reported Keaton’s death, said the actress died in California on Saturday, October 11, citing a family spokesperson.

An actress for more than four decades, the beloved star thought she would be a singer, telling “CBS Sunday Morning” in February 2010, “I wanted to sing. I did everything I could to be a singer.”

Born in 1946 in Los Angeles, Keaton appeared on stage in the musical “Hair” at age 22 and then in Woody Allen’s “Play It Again, Sam” in 1968, for which she received a Tony nomination.

Keaton said her voice wasn’t good enough and she moved to acting, making her first film appearance in “Lovers and Other Strangers” in 1970, while her many early TV credits included appearances in “Mannix,” “The FBI,” “Night Gallery” and “Love, American Style.”

She played the role of Kay, Al Pacino’s girlfriend, in “The Godfather” in 1972 and repeated the role in the detective saga’s two sequels. The couple became lovers after filming Godfather II, Keaton said.

Keaton later became famous for a series of films she made with famed director Woody Allen, creating one of the most enduring film partnerships of the ’70s. She starred in “Manhattan,” “Annie Hall” and “Love and Death, among others.”

She said she had a “huge crush” on Allen from the moment she saw him.

“He was hilarious,” Keaton told “CBS News Sunday Morning.”

She was also romantically involved with Warren Beatty, who directed her and with whom she starred in “Reds.”

Keaton won her first Oscar for “Annie Hall” — an exceptionally rare win for a comedic performance — at the 50th annual Academy Awards and was nominated three more times, for “Reds,” “Marvin’s Room” and “Something’s Gotta Give.”

Keaton never married and did not start a family until she was 50, saying she was “a late developer”. Keaton said that if she had married, she would have had to “compromise too much.”

She said she wanted to try more adventurous things for herself and also said she was “afraid of men.” She said she was always denied and neglected. “I wasn’t ready to get married.”

She adopted two children when she was in her fifties: a daughter, Dexter, and a son, Duke. Keaton said she truly loved being a girl and only embraced parenthood after her father died.

“I had to accept that I had to move on,” she said.

She continued acting throughout her life, with her final appearance coming in 2024’s “Summer Camp.”

Hollywood stars pay tribute to Diane Keaton

Tributes to Keaton poured in from fellow Hollywood actors after learning of his passing.

In a social media post, Bette Midler said: “I can’t tell you how unbearably sad this makes me.”

“[Keaton] “It was hilarious, completely original and completely devoid of the trickery or competitiveness one would expect from such a star,” Midler, who starred alongside Keaton in “The First Wives Club,” wrote on Instagram. “What you saw was who she was… oh, la, lala!”

Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who played Keaton’s daughter in “Father of the Bride,” said working with the legendary actress will always be one of the highlights of her life.

“You are one of a kind and it was exciting to be in your orbit for a while. Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, your talent and especially your laughter,” she wrote.