Diane Keaton’s death on Saturday, 11 October, aged 79, prompted an outpouring of affection from colleagues, fans and the city where her story began.
Santa Ana, California, announced that its next council meeting will be adjourned in her honour, the landmark water tower will be lit in her favourite colour, and a street topper bearing her name will be placed near Santa Ana High School. The gestures capture how deeply she was cherished at home, even as Hollywood memorialised one of its most original stars.
A legacy written in film
(Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for CinemaCon)
Keaton’s health declined very suddenly in recent months, according to friends, and her family has asked for privacy. She is survived by her two children, daughter Dexter, 29, and son Duke, 25.
On screen, Keaton built a five-decade career that balanced steel with sparkle. She broke through in The Godfather films, then redefined contemporary romance in Annie Hall, which earned her the Oscar for Best Actress in 1978. Later, she became the heartbeat of studio comedies including The First Wives Club and the Nancy Meyers canon, with Something’s Gotta Give bringing her a fourth Oscar nomination and reminding audiences of her precision timing and emotional candour.
Hollywood remembers an original
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Co-stars remembered a generous collaborator. Keanu Reeves called her “extraordinary” and “a very special, unique person”, recalling the joy of watching her and Jack Nicholson spar good-naturedly between takes in Paris on Something’s Gotta Give. Reese Witherspoon, who was directed by Keaton in one of her earliest roles, spoke through tears about a teenage summer transformed by Keaton’s belief, right down to the mentor’s brisk tip about posture. Goldie Hawn, her First Wives Club sister, wrote that they had “agreed to grow old together” and praised a friend who “stole the hearts of the world”.
Icons in conversation
There were honours beyond film too. Clint Eastwood remembered sharing Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals Man and Woman of the Year accolades with Keaton in 1991, a rare moment the two icons appeared together. It is an image that now reads as a quiet pairing of integrity and endurance.
A style all her own
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Keaton’s cultural footprint ran well past acting. She was a self-styled fashion force whose androgynous tailoring, bowler hats, turtlenecks and fearless accessories turned red carpets into personal statements. Annie Hall blurred the line between costume and character because so much of that look was hers to begin with. She could play with Comme des Garçons and Thom Browne one day, then land in impeccable cashmere and white denim the next, laughing at her own missteps while proving that true style is a conversation with yourself.
The woman behind the legend
If the tributes share a theme, it is that Keaton made people feel seen. Directors trusted her instincts. Co-stars felt looked after. Audiences felt invited in. As Santa Ana lights its tower and film lovers rewatch the work, the picture that emerges is simple and rare. Diane Keaton was entirely herself, and the world was brighter for it.
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