Diane Keaton biography, age, young, net worth, husband, children

Diane Keaton Biography

Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, and producer. She's an Oscar winner, BAFTA recipient, and two-time Golden Globe champion. Keaton's most iconic roles include the "Godfather" trilogy (1972), "Love and Death" (1975), "Annie Hall" (1977), "Reds" (1981), "Marvin's Room" (1996), and many others.

Early Life and Youth

Diane Keaton (née Hall) was born January 5, 1946, in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Dorothy Deanne Keaton (1921–2008), was a homemaker and amateur photographer; her father, John Newton Ignatius "Jack" Hall (1922–1990), worked as a real estate broker and civil engineer. Diane was the eldest of four children—she had two sisters, Dorrie and Robin, and a brother, Randy.

Most of the child-rearing fell to Dorothy, a devoted Free Methodist. Spirited, energetic, and theatrical, she became young Diane's biggest inspiration. When her mother won the "Mrs. Los Angeles" title for homemakers, Diane first seriously considered becoming an actress. Another major influence was screen legend Katharine Hepburn, who made a career of playing strong, independent women.

During high school, Keaton threw herself into school concerts, performed vocal numbers, and joined the drama club. After graduation, she enrolled in the acting program at Orange Coast College in California, but left after a year to pursue her career in Manhattan. Around this time, Diane changed her surname to Keaton—her mother's maiden name—since Hollywood already had an actress named Diane Hall.

Keaton's talent didn't get recognized right away. She spent a long stretch singing in nightclubs before landing a role in the Broadway musical "Hair" (1968). The young actress caught the public's attention not just for her strong performance and vocal chops, but also for refusing to appear nude in the finale.

Acting Career

Her work on Broadway brought Diane a fateful meeting with Woody Allen – she starred in his play "Play It Again, Sam," which earned the young actress a Tony nomination. In 1972, the play was adapted into a film of the same name, featuring the Keaton-Allen duo.

The partnership with Allen proved incredibly fruitful – she appeared in several more of his films, including Sleeper (1973), Manhattan (1979), and Annie Hall (1977) – a love story in which audiences spotted hints of Woody and Diane's real-life relationship. For her leading role in the latter, Keaton won an Oscar, while Allen took home awards for Best Director and Original Screenplay.

Thanks to Woody Allen, Diane Keaton became hot property for many prestigious directors. A major breakthrough came with her roles in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather trilogy (1972, 1974, and 1990), where she played Kay Adams, girlfriend and eventual wife of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino).

Diane Keaton and Al Pacino on the set of The Godfather

In 1981, Diane teamed up with Warren Beatty, whom she was dating off-screen, for Reds. The Oscar-nominated historical drama follows an American couple who emigrate to Russia after the October Revolution of 1917. Keaton's brilliant performance earned her an Oscar nomination, but the award went to her childhood idol, 75-year-old Katharine Hepburn, for On Golden Pond.

After a string of less successful films in the early 1980s, Keaton bounced back with the comedy Baby Boom (1987), playing a career-driven single mother.

Around this time, Keaton ventured into directing: she created several music videos for pop singer Belinda Carlisle and various TV projects, including a director's episode of David Lynch's cult series Twin Peaks. Keaton's first feature as director was the tragicomedy Unstrung Heroes (1995), starring Andie MacDowell and John Turturro.

Comedy became Keaton's new winning formula. In 1991, she appeared alongside Steve Martin in the box office hit Father of the Bride, which spawned a sequel a few years later. In 1993, Diane reunited with Woody Allen for his comedy Manhattan Murder Mystery.

Three years later, the actress starred alongside Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler in the delightful The First Wives Club, about friends plotting revenge on the men who left them. The film was a massive hit, raking in over $181 million worldwide.

But Keaton's never been a one-genre actress. Her deeply felt performance in the family drama Marvin's Room, about two estranged sisters, proved that. The role earned Keaton her third Oscar nomination.

In the early 2000s, Keaton delighted fans with Town & Country (2001), reuniting with Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn while keeping good company with young Josh Hartnett.

The romantic comedy Something's Gotta Give (2003) with Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves became a crowd favorite. This box office hit brought Keaton her fourth Oscar nomination, though the award went to Charlize Theron for her stunning transformation in Monster.

Other notable films from Diane's 2000s include The Family Stone (2005), where she played the spirited homemaker Sybil Stone, and Mad Money (2008), with the actress as the mastermind behind a bank heist operation.

These projects were followed by more comedies – "The Big Wedding" (2013) and "And So It Goes" (2014). Alongside Morgan Freeman, Keaton played an elderly couple in love planning to sell their old home in the charming "Life Itself" (2014), and soon after appeared in the holiday comedy "Love the Coopers" (2015).

Diane Keaton, Ana Ayora, and Topher Grace in The Big Wedding

Diane Keaton rarely did TV work, aside from her earliest roles and the 1970s miniseries The Godfather: A Novel for Television. But in 2016, she surprised everyone by appearing in HBO's The Young Pope, playing a nun and personal secretary to the Pope (Jude Law).

Diane Keaton in The Young Pope, clips

Keaton also starred in the comedy Hampstead (2017) with Brendan Gleeson, and in June 2018 appeared in Book Club about refined intellectuals who get their hands on the erotic bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey.

In May 2019, the uplifting comedy Poms premiered with 73-year-old Diane Keaton in the lead. The actress played a retiree who decides to return to sports and form a cheerleading squad with her fellow nursing home residents.

Diane also played a central role in the romantic comedy Love, Weddings & Other Disasters, which hit screens in 2021.

Recent Work

In spring 2021, when the pandemic was still calling the shots, the actress began filming the comedy Mack & Rita, about a thirty-year-old woman who magically wakes up in the body of a seventy-year-old.

Budget constraints and pandemic restrictions forced the crew to improvise on the fly, cutting major scenes, combining shooting days, and skipping rehearsals. The film, released in August 2022, received a cold reception, and Keaton earned a Golden Raspberry nomination.

In May 2022, filming began in Italy on the Book Club sequel, reuniting Keaton with Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen. The second installment picked up after the pandemic had forced the friends to hold their monthly book club meetings over Zoom. Now the women embark on an Italian adventure filled with mishaps and, naturally, romantic entanglements.

Four elegantly dressed older women walking through an airport with luggage — Still from Book Club: The Next Chapter

In 2023, Keaton appeared in the comedy Maybe I Do alongside Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, and Emma Roberts—an intimate story about two couples who discover unexpected connections with each other. The film, adapted from a play by director Michael Jacobs, marked his feature debut.

In January 2024, Sky Cinema premiered the British comedy Genie, featuring Keaton with Patricia Hodge and Lulu as one of three friends who accidentally drink an elixir of eternal youth invented by one character's late husband.

Diane Keaton's Personal Life

Early in her film career, Diane Keaton had several romances with prominent figures in the film industry. One of her first admirers was Woody Allen, who was captivated by Diane's brilliant sense of humor. Keaton and Allen lived together for a while, but by the time their first film came out in 1972, the relationship had become strictly professional. However, Allen remained one of Keaton's closest friends until her death.

Diane kept her relationship with Warren Beatty very private, earning her the label in 1985 as "the most reclusive star since Greta Garbo." Their love story ended shortly after filming wrapped on Reds. The couple's problems stemmed not only from the difficult production process but also from numerous financial troubles.

Keaton also dated her The Godfather trilogy co-star Al Pacino. The couple went through painful breakups and reunions before finally parting ways after The Godfather Part III (1990). "Al is one of the most interesting people to me... And he has the most beautiful face. Yes, Warren is gorgeous, he's very handsome, but Pacino's face – it's something else. It's just incredible," Diane shared.

In the mid-2000s, rumors circulated that Diane briefly dated Keanu Reeves, her co-star from Something's Gotta Give, who's 18 years her junior.

Diane Keaton never married. And she didn't lose sleep over it: "I don't think my life is any less because I don't have a husband."

Keaton has two adopted children: daughter Dexter (adopted in 1996) and son Duke (adopted in 2001). Diane decided to become a mother at nearly 50, prompted by her father's death, which hit her hard. "Motherhood completely changed me. It's the most amazing experience of my life," the actress said.

Diane Keaton participated in campaigns to save and restore historic Los Angeles buildings. She was also passionate about photography, worked in luxury real estate (Madonna was one of her clients), and served as the face of L'Oréal cosmetics. In November 2011, Keaton released a memoir titled Then Again.

Final Years and Death

In August 2022, Keaton experienced one of her most touching public moments: the ceremony immortalizing her hand and footprints in cement outside the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Standing beside her were the most important people in her life: 27-year-old daughter Dexter with husband Jordan White and 22-year-old son Duke. When asked what having her children present at the event meant to her, she answered with one word: "Everything."

Diane Keaton in a hat and pantsuit leaves her handprints in concrete — Diane Keaton leaves her handprints

In her final months, Keaton's health deteriorated rapidly, though she continued working extensively. Only her closest family members knew about her condition—the actress chose to keep everything secret, even from friends.

On the morning of October 11, 2025, at 8:08 a.m. local time, 911 received a call from Keaton's home. The actress had lost consciousness. She was hospitalized, and doctors pronounced her dead. Diane Keaton was 79 years old.

Diane Keaton in a hat showing off a Christmas ornament that's her exact replica — Diane Keaton in 2024

Keaton's death was confirmed by producer Dorie Rath, who had worked with her. No cause of death was initially released. The actress's family asked for privacy regarding details. However, media outlets reported that Keaton died from squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.

Francis Ford Coppola, who discovered her in "The Godfather," wrote:

Words cannot express the wonder and talent of Diane Keaton. Endlessly intelligent, so beautiful... Everything about Diane was the embodiment of creativity.

Goldie Hawn, Diane's friend, said goodbye to her:

Diane, we're not ready to let you go. You left us a trail of magic dust filled with particles of light and memories beyond imagination. We made a pact to grow old together and maybe one day live together with all our girlfriends. Well, we never did live together, but we sure did grow old together.

Keanu Reeves, during the premiere of his new film in New York, said:

I had the wonderful opportunity to work with her, and she was a special artist and person. Unique and just wonderful.

Diane Keaton: latest news and articles

16 celebrities who have aged gracefully (photo)
22 Dec 2020

Jennifer Flores

What a woman Keaton that she adopted two children! A reason for pride and an example of courage

2021-04-07 11:42:07
Michael Huff

She`s just a miracle and a diamond in Hollywood! A woman with incredible talent, charm and beauty

2021-03-31 21:04:00
Marlene Rodriguez

There are many fond memories associated with Diane Keaton, more precisely, with her roles in the cinema. I love the First Wives Club dearly and review it every year.

2021-03-13 13:31:17
Robin Carter

Annie Hall has long been my favorite movie. There are two of my favorites here - Keaton and Allen.

2021-02-27 11:09:06
Richard Hayes

Diane Keaton is a legend of cinema. One of the few very talented actresses of our time!

2021-02-25 09:25:23

Photos: Diane Keaton