Actress Diane Keaton dies at 79

BarcelonaThe Godfather (the first, the second and the third), Annie Hall, Reds, Manhattan, Interiors... The word legend doesn't fall short of defining actress Diane Keaton and her journey through the world of cinema, with starring roles in films that have become etched in the collective imagination. The actor died this Saturday at the age of 79 after a life dedicated to film.

Born in Los Angeles in 1946 as Diane Hall, Keaton was the eldest of four children. Keaton always remembered her mother, from whom she took her maiden name, and explained that although she had dedicated herself to being a homemaker, she had always dreamed of being something more. "Secretly, I think she would have wanted to be in show business. She sang and played the piano; she was beautiful. She was my champion," the actress explained in an interview.

Perhaps because of this influence, Keaton showed an interest in acting from a very young age, both in school and at university.

She dropped out of college to move to New York and try her luck in the theater. In 1968, she was chosen to perform in the Broadway musical Hair and in 1970 he made his big screen debut with the film Lovers and other strangers, although fame came to her the same year thanks to Francis Ford Coppola and her role as Al Pacino's partner in The Godfather.

But the actress's most fruitful collaboration was with director Woody Allen, with whom she formed one of the most outstanding cinematic tandems in the history of cinema with films such as Annie Hall, which earned him his only Oscar, Manhattan,Interiors,Radio Days and Mysterious murder in Manhattan. The two displayed a fascinating complicity that wasn't only evident in front of the camera. They were a couple for a time and, after separating, maintained a good relationship over the years. The actress even defended Allen in his darkest moments, especially when Mia Farrow's adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, accused him of alleged abuse during her childhood. At the time, Keaton made clear her support for the filmmaker and asserted that Woody Allen was her friend and that she still believed in him.

In the 1980s, Keaton began to explore her side behind the camera and made her directorial debut with the short film What does Dorrie want? in 1982, and the documentary Heaven (1984-1985).

In 1984 he acted in the film The girl with the kettledrum, and throughout the decade she continued to add successes as an actress in films such as Crimes of the Heart, Radio Days either The price of passion.

The 90s led her to continue exploring new facets within the world of cinema, in this case as a producer of The Lemon Sisters, while he won over the public and the box office by performing The father of the bride, in 1991, alongside Steve Martin. He returned behind the camera in 1995 with Heroes by force and received another Oscar nomination for Marvin's Room.

At the beginning of 2000 he once again demonstrated that he knew how to combine commercial achievements with critical acclaim and launched himself into the realm of romantic comedy with When you least expect it, in 2003, alongside Jack Nicholson.

Over the years, Keaton has imbued his characters with an unmistakable charisma. Whether it was with the masculine looks ofAnnie Hall –no one will wear ties as well as she does–, with the intensity of Louise Bryant in Reds, or with the insight of Carol Lipton, of Mysterious murder in Manhattan. She gave us performances we can always return to.

The actress continued working until the very end. In recent years, she has been making films, mostly comedies. The last films she appeared in were Summer field and Forever young, both released in 2024.