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By Hollie Silverman and Peter Aitken
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Legendary actress Diane Keaton has died at the age of 79, her family confirmed to PEOPLE on Saturday.
A family spokesperson told the outlet that they are asking for privacy at this time. The cause of death was not immediately available.
She leaves behind her two children, daughter Dexter and son Duke, who she adopted when she was in her 50s, according to PEOPLE.
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Keaton was an Oscar-winner who starred in such film classics as the The Godfather and Annie Hall, the latter of which earned her wins for Best Actress at the Academy Awards, BAFTAs, and Golden Globes.
Keaton was known as a trailblazer for women in Hollywood who brought a mix of vulnerability and authenticity to her roles. She held leading roles for five decades and four Oscar nominations, including her win for Annie Hall.
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Hollywood's Quirky Leading Lady
Keaton, born Diane Hall, got her start in New York on Broadway, making her debut as an understudy in Hair. It was her role in Woody Allen's Play It Again, Sam, and resulting Tony Award nomination that helped her make the jump.
After appearing in Lovers and Other Strangers, Keaton booked a number of guest star roles on television before featuring as the love interest and wife of Michael Corleone in the legendary Godfather trilogy, giving Keaton her breakout.
She would gain notoriety for her partnership with Allen, starring in several of his films and earning her Oscar award from Annie Hall.
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In an interview with AARP in 2023, Keaton acknowledged her "great good fortune" to have the career she has enjoyed, working with some of the greatest directors and actors during her half-century in Hollywood.
"I wasn’t what you’d call ‘a real actress.’ I was more, well, not quite there. It just wasn’t me. Shoot, the whole thing is so strange to even think back on," she said.
Keaton has starred opposite Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Michael Douglas, and Steve Martin, among many, many others.
She also starred in the female ensemble hit The First Wives Club in the 1990s, and another female-first cast in the 2018 film Book Club and its sequel, Book Club: The Next Chapter. Her final film role was 2024's Summer Camp alongside Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard.
She held one TV show role, playing the role of Sister Mary Ignatius in the HBO series The Young Pope.
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Off-Screen Impact
Keaton's influence and impact extended beyond her acting talents: She was also well-known as a fashion icon for her androgynous menswear-inspired style featured in Annie Hall, which went on to inspire fashion for decades.
She also had a reputation as a fiercely independent woman, who never married and chose to adopt as a single mother, describing her journey through motherhood as "the most fun I've ever had."
Tributes to an Icon
Mary Steenburgen, Keaton’s co-star in Book Club, in a statement to Deadline: "Diane was magic. There was no one, nor will there ever be, anyone like her. I loved her and felt blessed to be her friend. My love to her family. What a wonder she was!!!”
Bette Midler, Keaton's co-star in The First Wives Club, wrote 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!"
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Director Paul Feig wrote on X: "I was so honored to call Diane Keaton a friend. She was an amazingly kind and creative person who also just happened to be a Hollywood legend. She has been taken from us far too soon. We will miss you, Diane."
British broadcaster Piers Morgan wrote on X: "RIP Diane Keaton, 79. Oscar-winning star of Annie Hall, brilliant in the Godfather and Father of the Bride movies. One of Hollywood’s greatest actresses, and a delightful lady. Sad news."
Actor and director Ben Stiller wrote on X: "Diane Keaton. One of the greatest film actors ever. An icon of style, humor and comedy. Brilliant. What a person."
What Happens Next?
Details about Keaton’s cause of death, public memorials, and tributes have yet to be announced at the time. The entertainment world is expected to offer tributes and remembrances of Keaton’s significant contributions to film and culture in the coming days.
Update 10/11/25, 4:46 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information, context, and comments.
Update 10/11/25, 5:41 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional photos.
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