OSCAR-WINNING actress Diane Keaton, who appeared in films including Annie Hall and The Godfather, has passed away at the age of 79.
A short statement from her family to People magazine confirmed her passing on Saturday, asking for 'privacy in this moment of great sadness'.
Tributes have since flooded in for Keaton, including from her First Wives Club co-star Bette Midler, who described the actress as 'brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary'.
Keaton, who previously spoke of her pride in her Irish roots, was born in Los Angeles on January 6, 1946.
After just a handful of film, TV and stage roles, she landed the part of Kay Adams-Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 classic, The Godfather.
She later reprised the role alongside Al Pacino's Michael Corleone for the film's sequels in 1974 and 1990.
View this post on Instagram
In 1977, Keaton starred in Woody Allen's Annie Hall — one of eight films in which she collaborated with the director — with the performance landing her the Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for Best Actress.
She was nominated for a further three Best Actress Oscars for Reds (1981), Marvin's Room (1996) and Something's Gotta Give (2003).
Other memorable roles included Baby Boom, in which she starred as a business woman who must adopt her late cousin’s baby, and the 1991 comedy, Father of the Bride.
Keaton also worked behind the camera, directing the 1987 documentary Heaven, 1995 comedy Unstrung Heroes and episodes of TV shows including Twin Peaks and China Beach.
'Her spirit will live forever'
Singer Belinda Carlisle, for whom Keaton directed the video for her global hit, Heaven is a Place on Earth, said the star played a major part in her career.
"She was kind and eccentric and I was blessed to know her. This is such a big loss," added Carlisle.
In her tribute on Instagram, Midler added of her First Wives Club co-star: "She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star."
Goldie Hawn, who also starred in the box office hit about three divorcees seeking revenge on their former husbands, said: "There was, and will be, no one like you.
"You stole the hearts of the world and shared your genius with millions, making films that made us laugh and cry in ways only you could.
"I was blessed to make First Wives Club with you, our days starting with coffee in the makeup trailer, laughing and joking, right through to the very last day of filming. It was a roller coaster of love.
"We agreed to grow old together, and one day, maybe live together with all our girlfriends.
"Well, we never got to live together, but we did grow older together. Who knows… maybe in the next life."
Diane Keaton. One of the greatest film actors ever. An icon of style, humor and comedy. Brilliant. What a person.
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) October 11, 2025
Meanwhile, the official Twitter/X account of the Oscars posted: "Some actors play emotions. Diane Keaton lived inside them.
"Diane Keaton embodied the contradictions of being human: funny and fragile, bright and bruised, always achingly honest.
"For decades, she filled every frame with warmth, wit, and wonder.
"A Best Actress Oscar winner and four-time nominee, her presence shaped generations of storytelling.
"Her spirit will live forever on screen, and in the hearts of all who saw themselves in her."
See More: Diane Keaton
