Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton has passed away at 79

The Oscar-winning star, born in Los Angeles, rose to prominence in the 1970s thanks to her portrayal of Kay Adams-Corleone in The Godfather series. She went on to become widely recognised for leading roles in Father of the Bride, First Wives Club and Annie Hall, the latter earning her the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1978.

Her death was confirmed to CBS News — the BBC’s US partner — by producer and longtime friend Dori Rath.

Annie Hall also brought Keaton the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical, as well as the BAFTA Award for Best Leading Actress.

Over a career spanning more than fifty years, she appeared in numerous other films including The Family Stone, Because I Said So, And So It Goes, and several Woody Allen movies such as Play It Again, Sam, Sleeper, Love and Death and Manhattan.

Keaton made her screen debut in the 1970 romantic comedy Lovers and Other Strangers. Her final appearance was in the 2024 comedy Summer Camp, acting alongside Eugene Levy and Kathy Bates.

She also worked behind the camera, directing several films. Her first was Heaven, a 1987 documentary exploring people’s beliefs about the afterlife. In 1995, she directed Unstrung Heroes, a comedy-drama starring Andie MacDowell, John Turturro and Michael Richards, which was selected for Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section, highlighting distinctive work by emerging filmmakers.

Her most recent directing credit was Hanging Up in 2000, a comedy-drama featuring herself, Meg Ryan and Lisa Kudrow.

Keaton was celebrated not only for her film work but also for her distinctive sense of style, often marked by menswear-inspired outfits and wide-brimmed hats.

According to a family spokesperson speaking to People magazine — which first reported her death — Keaton died in California on Saturday.

Tributes poured in. Bette Midler, her First Wives Club co-star, posted on Instagram: “The brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary Diane Keaton has died. I cannot tell you how unbearably sad this makes me. She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star. What you saw was who she was ... oh, la, lala!”

Actor Ben Stiller honoured her on X, writing: “Diane Keaton. One of the greatest film actors ever. An icon of style, humor and comedy. Brilliant. What a person.”

Keaton received three additional Oscar nominations — all for Best Actress — for Something’s Gotta Give, Marvin’s Room and Reds.

She never married and was mother to two adopted children — her daughter, Dexter, and her son, Duke.

In her 2011 memoir Then Again, she reflected: “I have assessed my happiness ratio and this is the result. I am totally content whenever the ones I love are happy about something little, big, insignificant, whatever. I just don't think anyone could possibly have the same wonderful, intense, compelling feelings that I have for this family of mine.”