Diane Keaton, beloved Oscar-winning actress, has died at the age of 79 in California, People confirmed with a spokesperson for Keaton’s family. There are no further details shared at this time, and Vulture has reached out for comment. Keaton began her acting career on Broadway in 1968 as an understudy for Sheila in Hair before eventually moving on to her first main role as Linda Christie in Woody Allen’s Broadway play Play It Again, Sam, where she was later nominated for a Tony for her performance and soon became Allen’s muse. As the actress made the move to film with Lovers and Other Strangers, many more roles began to follow, including starring as Michael Corleone’s girlfriend/wife in The Godfather and reprising her role as Linda in the film adaptation of Allen’s play. Playing the titular role in Annie Hall in 1977, Keaton won her first Oscar, cementing her impact in romantic comedy films in decades to come.
Allen wasn’t the only director smitten by Keaton’s eccentric performances; she starred in four Nancy Meyers movies, including Father of the Bride and Something’s Gotta Give. And of course, Keaton became another cinematic muse; she was effortlessly charming and insightful when it came to the craft of filmmaking. “Like with some people, you work with them and it’s like, you get away with murder. You don’t do that with Nancy. What you do is you really have to expand yourself. You have to be better than what you know. And that’s good. That’s really good,” Keaton shared with Vulture in 2020 on working with Meyers. And Keaton was never afraid to expand her career into new territory, like starring in Justin Bieber’s music video as his grieving grandmother who needs a fun night out on the town. She continued acting throughout her life, with Summer Camp being her last film in 2024.
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The rom-com actress has been an inspiration to many artists for decades, including the sandwich kind. Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney named a sandwich after her in their Nancy Meyers-inspired restaurant; Keaton even paid a visit to show her support and enchanted everyone in the shop. Teri Maloney, Katie’s mom and restaurant employee wrote at the time, “[Keaton] is incredibly friendly & fun…she made me feel like her new best friend! She always has been and continues to be one of my most favorite icon rom com legends!! And, yes…she ordered The Diane Sandwich!”
