Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton biography

Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, and producer, winner of the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. Keaton’s most famous roles are in the series of films The Godfather (1972), Love and Death (1975), Annie Hall (1977), Reds (1981), Marvin’s Room (1996), and many others.

In the photo: Diane Keaton

Childhood and youth

Diane Keaton (Hall) was born on January 5, 1946, in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Dorothy Deanne Keaton (1921–2008), was a housewife and amateur photographer; her father, John Newton Ignatius "Jack" Hall (1922–1990) worked as a real estate broker and civil engineer. Diane is the oldest child in the family: she has two sisters, Dorrie and Robin, and a brother Randy.

Diane Keaton in childhood and youth

The main work on raising their daughter fell on Dorothy’s shoulders, the woman who was the Free Methodist Church adherent. Lively, active, and artistic woman incredibly inspired young Diane. When her mother won Mrs. Los Angeles, pageant contest for homemakers, Diane first realized that she wanted to become an actress. Keaton’s other idol was the American film star Katharine Hepburn, who depicted exceptionally strong and independent women.

In her school years, Keaton actively participated in school concerts, performed vocal performances, and attended acting classes. After graduating from school, the girl entered the acting department of California Orange Coast College, but a year later she dropped out of college for a career in Manhattan. In the same period, Diane changed her last name to Keaton, her mother’s maiden name, since there was already one actress Diane Hall in Hollywood.

Diane Keaton in her youth

Keaton’s talent was not noticed immediately. The girl worked as a singer in nightclubs for a long time, until she got a role in the Broadway musical Hair (1968). The young actress attracted public attention not only with excellent acting and vocal abilities but also with the fact that she refused to strip naked in the finale.

Working on Broadway gave Diane an acquaintance with Woody Allen ‒ the actress played in his production Play It Again, Sam, which brought the girl a nomination for the Tony Award. In 1972, on the basis of the play, the film of the same name was shot, in which Keaton and Allen's duo played.

Diane Keaton and Woody Allen

The union with Allen was extremely fruitful. The girl appeared in a few more pictures by him, including the films Sleeping (1973), Manhattan (1979), and Annie Hall (1977) ‒ a love story in which viewers saw a hint of real relationships between Woody and Diane. For the lead role in the latter film, the actress won an Oscar, as Allen did ‒ for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

Diane Keaton in the film Play It Again, Sam

Thanks to Woody Allen, Diane Keaton became a tasty tidbit for many famous directors. The role in the series of films The Godfather (1972, 1974, and 1990) directed by Francis Ford Coppola, in which the actress played as Kay Adams, Michael Corleone’s (Al Pacino) girlfriend, and future wife, became a great success for Diane.

In 1981, Diane teamed up with Warren Beatty, whom she dated “off-screen”, in the film Reds. The plot of the historical drama nominated for an Oscar revolves around an American couple, who emigrated to Russia after the October Revolution of 1917. Brilliant acting brought Keaton an Oscar nomination, but the award went to the idol of her youth, 75-year-old Catherine Hepburn, for her role in the film On Golden Pond.

Diane Keaton in the film Reds

After a series of less successful films in the early 1980s, Keaton regained success thanks to the comedy Baby Boom (1987), in which she performed a working single mother. In the same time period, Keaton took up directing: she created several music videos for pop singer Belinda Carlisle, as well as a number of TV projects, for example, directing an episode of the cult Twin Peaks, directed by David Lynch. Keaton’s first full-length film as a director was the tragic comedy Unstrung Heroes (1995) starring Andie MacDowell and John Turturro in leading roles.

Diane Keaton and Al Pacino on the set of The Godfather

The comedy genre became Keaton’s real success formula. In 1991, she appeared with Steve Martin in the grossing movie Father of the Bride, the sequel of which was filmed several years later. In 1993, Diane again worked with Woody Allen on the set of his comedy Manhattan Murder Mystery.

Three years later, the actress appeared with Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler in the funny movie The First Wives Club, about friends who decided to take revenge on their lovers who had left them. The film was a great success, earning more than 181 million dollars worldwide.

Shot from the movie The First Wives Club

But Keaton was never an actress of only one genre. And this is proved by the adult and deep acting in the family drama Marvin’s Room, dedicated to two estranged sisters. This role brought Keaton a nomination for the third Oscar.

Diane Keaton at the Academy Awards

In the early 2000s, Keaton pleased her fans with her role in the comedy Town & Country (2001), in which she reunited with Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn and kept young Josh Hartnett good company. The romantic comedy Something’s Gotta Give (2003) with Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves did not pass by the viewer. This hit film brought Keaton the fourth nomination for an Oscar, but the prize went to Charlize Theron for her astonishing reincarnation in the drama Monster.

Among Diane’s other successful full-length films of the 2000s, the film The Family Stone (2005) can be noted, in which she played as cheerful housewife Sybil Stone, as well as the comedy Mad Money (2008), where the actress appeared as the organizer of the bank robbery operation.

Shot from the movie Mad Money

These projects were followed by other comedies ‒ The Big Wedding (2013) and And So It Goes (2014). Keaton and Morgan Freeman played an elderly couple in love, who was going to sell their old house, in the charming comedy 5 Flights Up (2014), and soon the actress appeared in the New Year comedy Love the Coopers (2015).

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

Diane Keaton almost does not appear in the TV series, with the exception of the earliest roles and the 1970s TV mini-series The Godfather: A Novel for Television. However, in 2016, to everyone’s surprise, the actress appeared in the HBO television series The Young Pope, playing as the nun and private secretary of the Pope (Jude Law).

Book Club ‒ trailer

Keaton also played in the comedy Hampstead (2017) with Brendan Gleeson, and in June 2018, she could be seen in the film Book Club, about sophisticated intellectuals, in whose hands the erotic bestseller Fifty Shades of Gray fell.

Diane Keaton personal life

At the beginning of the film career, Diane Keaton had several love-affairs with famous personalities in the film industry. One of her first lovers was Woody Allen, who was struck by Diane’s brilliant sense of humor. Keaton and Allen lived together for some time, but by the time their first film was released in 1972, their relationships had acquired only working nature. Today, Allen remains one of the closest friends of the actress.

Diane Keaton with Woody Allen

Diane very carefully concealed her relationships with Warren Beatty, for which in 1985 she was called “the most reclusive star since the times of Greta Garbo”. The relationships ended shortly after the filming of the movie Reds was completed. It is believed that the problems in the couple were caused not only by the complex filming process but also by numerous financial troubles.

Diane Keaton and Warren Beatty

Keaton also dated Al Pacino, her colleague in The Godfather trilogy. The lovers experienced difficult breaks and reunions until they finally broke up after the release of the film The Godfather Part III (1990). “Al is one of the most interesting people for me ... And he also has the most beautiful face. Yes, Warren is great, he is very handsome, but Pacino’s face is something cool. It’s just incredible,” shared Diane.

Al Pacino and Diane Keaton

In the mid-2000s, it was rumored that Diane had dated with Keanu Reeves for some time, with a colleague in the film Something’s Gotta Give, who was 18 years younger than her.

Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves

Now Diane Keaton is not married. The actress doesn’t worry about this at all: “I don’t think that my life is worse because I don’t have a husband.”

Diane Keaton with children

Keaton has two adopted children: daughter Dexter (adopted in 1996) and son Duke (adopted in 2001). Diane decided to become a mother at the age of almost 50. This was prompted by the death of her father, which she felt very keenly. “Motherhood has completely changed me. This is the most wonderful experience in my life,” shared the actress.

Diane Keaton ‒ the face of L'Oréal

Diane Keaton is involved in Los Angeles historical building rescue and restoration campaigns. In addition, Diane has a passion for photography, works in the field of luxury real estate (Madonna became one of her clients), and is the face of the L'Oréal cosmetic brand. In November 2011, Keaton released a memoir book entitled Something Else.

Diane Keaton now

In May 2019, the premiere of the inspirational comedy Poms starring 73-year-old Diane Keaton in the lead role will take place. The actress will appear as a pensioner who decides to return to the sports and assemble a team of cheerleaders from the inhabitants of a nursing home. Diane will also voice one of the characters in the upcoming animated series Green Eggs and Ham.

Diane Keaton now

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

Diane Keaton biography

Childhood and youth

Diane Keaton personal life

Diane Keaton now

Diane Keaton - latest news and articles 2021