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

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

Additional information was not immediately available. Keaton’s family, which has not responded to CBS News’ inquiries, has not released a statement, and is not planning to today, according to Rath.

People Magazine, which first reported Keaton’s death, said the actress died in California on Saturday, Oct. 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 the stage in the musical “Hair” at 22 years old and then in Woody Allen’s “Play It Again, Sam” in 1968, for which she would receive a Tony nomination.

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

She starred as Al Pacino’s girlfriend Kay in “The Godfather” in 1972 and repeated the role in the crime saga’s two sequels. The couple became romantically involved after the filming of The Godfather Part II, Keaton said.

Keaton then became well-known for a string of movies she did with famed director Woody Allen — starting one of the 70s most enduring screen partnerships. She starred in “Manhattan,” “Annie Hall,” and “Love and Death, among others. 

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

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

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

Keaton won her first Oscar for “Annie Hall” — an exceptionally rare win for a comic performance — at the 50th Annual Academy Awards and would go on to be nominated three more times, for “Reds,” “Marvin’s Room,” and “Something’s Gotta Give.”

Keaton never married and didn’t start a family until she was 50, saying she was “a late developer.”  Keaton said if she got married, she would’ve 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 being turned down and overlooked. “I wasn’t marriage material.”

She adopted two children when she was in her 50s: a daughter, Dexter, and a son, Duke.  Keaton said she really enjoyed being a daughter and didn’t embrace parenthood until after her father died. 

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

She continued to act throughout her life, her last appearance coming in 2024’s “Summer Camp.”

Hollywood stars pay tribute to Diane Keaton

Tributes to Keaton poured in from fellow Hollywood actors after they learned of her passing.

In a post on social media, Bette Midler said, “I cannot tell you how unbearably sad this makes me.”

“[Keaton] was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected 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 thrilling to be in your orbit for a time. Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, your talent, and above all, your laughter,” she wrote.

In a short tribute posted to X, actor and comedian Ben Stiller said Keaton was “one of the greatest film actors ever.”

“An icon of style, humor and comedy. Brilliant. What a person,” Still wrote.

Nancy Sinatra, actor, singer and the daughter of Frank Sinatra, said she adored and idolized Keaton.

“She was a very special person and an incredibly gifted actor, who made each of her roles unforgettable. Her light will continue to shine through the art she leaves behind,” she said. “Godspeed, Diane. My heart goes out to her family and to each of us grieving this heartbreaking loss.”

Mandy Moore, who acted as Keaton’s daughter in the film “Because I Said So”, said it was an honor of a lifetime to get to call her “mom” for a few months.

“What an incandescent human Di is and was,” Moore wrote on Instagram, sharing an image of the two together from the 2007 film. “I am so sad she’s gone for all the reasons but also because it felt like she’d be here forever, dazzling us with her talent and charm (and her style, c’mon)!!! One of the very best to ever do it. All my love to her children and loved ones.”