Diane Keaton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Diane Keaton
Keaton in 2012
Born	Diane Hall (1946-01-05) January 5, 1946 (age 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	Santa Ana College Orange Coast College
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1966–present
Children	2
Awards	Full list

Diane Keaton (born January 5, 1946) is a famous American actress. She has had a long and successful career for over 50 years. Diane has won many important awards, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. She was also nominated for a Tony Award and two Emmy Awards. People have honored her with special tributes, like the Film Society of Lincoln Center Gala Tribute in 2007 and an AFI Life Achievement Award in 2017.

Diane Keaton started her acting journey on stage in 1968 in the musical Hair. The next year, she was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in Woody Allen's play Play it Again, Sam. She then started acting in movies, with her first big role as Kay Adams in The Godfather (1972). She played this role again in the sequels Part II (1974) and Part III (1990).

She often worked with Woody Allen, starting with the movie version of Play It Again, Sam (1972). Their movies Sleeper (1973) and Love and Death (1975) showed her talent for comedy. Her movie Annie Hall (1977) was a huge hit and won her an Academy Award for Best Actress.

To show she could do more than just comedy, Diane Keaton also starred in serious movies. These included Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and Interiors (1978). She received more Academy Award nominations for her roles in Reds (1981), Marvin's Room (1996), and Something's Gotta Give (2003). Some of her other well-known movies are Manhattan (1979), Baby Boom (1987), Father of the Bride (1991), The First Wives Club (1996), The Family Stone (2005), Finding Dory (2016), and Book Club (2018).

Growing Up and Education

Diane Hall was born in Los Angeles, California, on January 5, 1946. Her mother, Dorothy Keaton, was a homemaker and loved photography. Her father, John Hall, worked in real estate and engineering. Diane's mother won a "Mrs. Los Angeles" pageant, and Diane said this event made her want to become an actress. She also looked up to Katharine Hepburn, who played strong and independent women in her movies.

Diane went to Santa Ana High School in California and graduated in 1964. She was active in singing and acting clubs there. She even played Blanche DuBois in a school play called A Streetcar Named Desire. After high school, she studied acting at Santa Ana College and Orange Coast College. But she left after a year to chase her dream of acting in Manhattan.

When she joined the Actors' Equity Association, she had to change her last name because another actress was already named Diane Hall. So, she chose Keaton, which was her mother's maiden name. For a short time, she also sang in nightclubs. She even brought this singing act into some of her movies, like Annie Hall (1977).

Diane studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. She learned a special acting method called the Meisner technique. She believes that actors are "only as good as the person you're acting with." This means she thinks working well with others is very important for a great performance.

Her Acting Journey

Starting Out in the 1970s

In 1968, Diane Keaton joined the Broadway musical Hair. After nine months, she auditioned for Woody Allen's play Play It Again, Sam. Even though she was almost considered too tall, she got the part! She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance.

The next year, Diane made her first movie appearance in Lovers and Other Strangers. She also had guest roles on TV shows like Love, American Style.

Her big break came in 1972 when she played Kay Adams in Francis Ford Coppola's movie The Godfather. She played the girlfriend and later wife of Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino. The director chose her because he liked her unique and quirky personality. The Godfather was a huge success and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Two years later, she played Kay Adams again in The Godfather Part II. She wasn't sure at first, but she found the character much more interesting in the sequel. Even though her role was important, some critics felt her character didn't have a huge impact.

In the 1970s, Diane Keaton worked a lot with Woody Allen. Even though they were no longer dating, they made many movies together. She played many unique characters in his comedies and dramas, like Sleeper, Love and Death, and Manhattan. Allen has said that Diane was a big inspiration for his early films.

In 1977, Diane won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Allen's romantic comedy Annie Hall. Many people believed this movie was based on Allen's relationship with Diane. The character of Annie Hall was inspired by Diane herself, even using her nickname "Annie" and her original last name "Hall." Diane's unique style and humor were a big part of the role. She was described as "awkward, self-deprecating, speaking in endearing little whirlwinds of semi-logic." The movie was a huge hit and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Diane's fashion in Annie Hall became very popular. She wore vintage men's clothes, like neckties, vests, baggy pants, and fedora hats. This made her a fashion icon. She often wore her own clothes in the movie. Soon after, men's clothing styles became popular for women. Diane is still known for her love of vintage men's clothing.

In 1977, Time magazine featured her on its cover, calling her "the funniest woman now working in films." Later that year, she took on a more serious role in the drama Looking for Mr. Goodbar.

Diane also loved photography, a hobby she learned from her mother. In 1980, she published a book of her photos called Reservations, which featured pictures of old hotel interiors.

Success in the 1980s

After Manhattan (1979), Diane Keaton and Woody Allen stopped working together for a while. In 1981, she starred with Warren Beatty in the historical drama Reds. She played Louise Bryant, a journalist who travels to Russia. Beatty chose Diane because he wanted her natural nervousness and unsure attitude for the role. The movie was praised by critics, and Diane's performance was especially admired. The New York Times said she was "nothing less than splendid." She received her second Academy Award nomination for this role.

The next year, Diane starred in Shoot the Moon with Albert Finney. Her performance was again praised, and she received another Golden Globe Award nomination.

In 1987, Diane starred in Baby Boom, where she played a busy Manhattan career woman who suddenly has to take care of a baby. This movie was a success at the box office. Critics loved Diane's performance, calling it a "glorious comedy performance." That same year, she had a small role in Woody Allen's film Radio Days as a nightclub singer.

In 1987, Diane Keaton also directed her first movie, a documentary called Heaven, which explored the idea of an afterlife. She also directed music videos and episodes for TV shows like Twin Peaks.

Versatility in the 1990s

By the 1990s, Diane Keaton was known as one of Hollywood's most popular and flexible actresses. She started playing more mature roles, often as mothers in middle-class families. She always tried to avoid being typecast, saying she wanted to "break away from the usual roles."

In 1991, she starred with Steve Martin in the comedy Father of the Bride. This movie was a big hit for her. She played the role again four years later in the sequel. Critics often compared her to Katharine Hepburn, praising her as a "fine and intelligent actress."

In 1993, Diane starred in Manhattan Murder Mystery, her first big movie with Woody Allen since 1979. Critics loved her performance, saying she "nicely handles her sometimes buffoonish central comedic role." She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for this role.

In 1995, Diane directed Unstrung Heroes, her first movie released in theaters. While it didn't make much money, the film and her directing were generally well-received.

One of her most successful movies of the decade was the 1996 comedy The First Wives Club. She starred with Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler as three "first wives." Diane said making the film "saved [her] life." The movie was a huge success, earning over $105 million. Critics praised her and her co-stars, with one calling her "probably [one of] the best comic film actresses alive." In 1997, Diane, Goldie, and Bette received the Crystal Award for their outstanding work in the entertainment industry.

Also in 1996, Diane Keaton played Bessie, a woman with leukemia, in Marvin's Room. Meryl Streep played her sister, and Leonardo DiCaprio played her nephew. Critics praised the film, and Diane earned her third Academy Award nomination for her performance. She said the hardest part was understanding what it's like to have a serious illness.

New Roles in the 2000s

In 2000, Diane Keaton directed and starred in Hanging Up, with Meg Ryan and Lisa Kudrow. The movie didn't do very well with critics or at the box office.

In 2003, Diane had a major hit with Something's Gotta Give, directed by Nancy Meyers. She starred with Jack Nicholson. Some people thought the lead actors, aged 65 and 56, were too old for a romantic comedy. But Diane said, "people my age and Jack's age are much deeper, much more soulful... why shouldn't they fall in love?" The movie was a big success, earning $125 million in North America. Critics praised Nicholson and Keaton for bringing so much experience and humor to their roles. Diane received her fourth Academy Award nomination for her performance.

In 2005, Diane starred in the comedy The Family Stone, which was a moderate success. Critics praised her performance, saying she was "a sorceress at blending humor and heartbreak."

In 2007, Diane starred in Because I Said So and Mama's Boy. Because I Said So received very negative reviews. In Mama's Boy, she played the mother of a 29-year-old who lives at home. These films had limited releases and didn't do well. In 2008, she also appeared in Mad Money, which also struggled at the box office and with critics.

Recent Work in the 2010s

In 2010, Diane Keaton starred with Rachel McAdams and Harrison Ford in the comedy Morning Glory. She played a veteran TV host who tries to boost her show's ratings. The movie was a moderate success, and critics generally praised Diane's performance.

In 2012, she starred in Darling Companion with Kevin Kline. She played a woman whose husband loses her dog, leading to a search party. While the movie didn't do well, critics applauded Diane's performance, saying she brought "sorrow, warmth, wisdom, and rage" to her role.

In 2013, Diane starred in The Big Wedding, a comedy with Robert De Niro. The film received mostly negative reviews. In 2014, she starred in And So It Goes and 5 Flights Up with Morgan Freeman. 5 Flights Up premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. That same year, Diane became the first woman to receive the Golden Lion Award at the Zurich Film Festival.

In 2016, Diane voiced Jenny, the mother of the amnesiac fish Dory, in Pixar's animated movie Finding Dory. This movie was a huge success, earning over $1 billion worldwide and setting many records for animated films. Also in 2016, Diane appeared in the HBO series The Young Pope, playing a nun who raised the new Pope. The series was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards.

In 2018, Diane starred in Book Club. This romantic comedy received mixed reviews, but it was a big commercial success, earning over $91 million. In 2019, she starred in the comedy Poms, which was not as successful.

Life Outside of Acting

Relationships and Family

Diane Keaton has had relationships with other famous people in the entertainment industry. She dated director Woody Allen early in her career. They worked together on many films, and Diane says Allen is still one of her closest friends.

She also had a relationship with her Godfather co-star Al Pacino. Their relationship ended after filming The Godfather Part III. Diane has said that Pacino was "the most entertaining man" and had a "killer, killer face."

Diane also dated Warren Beatty when they starred together in Reds (1981). This relationship ended after the movie was finished. Diane remains friends with Beatty.

Diane Keaton has never married. In 2001, she said, "I don't think that because I'm not married it's made my life any less." She has two adopted children: a daughter named Dexter (adopted in 1996) and a son named Duke (adopted in 2001). She decided to become a mother at age 50 after her father passed away. She said that being a mother "has completely changed me. It's just about like the most completely humbling experience that I've ever had."

Other Interests

Diane Keaton has been a vegetarian since around 1995. She continues to enjoy photography and has published several books of her pictures. She has also edited collections of old photographs.

She has also worked as a producer for films and TV shows. In 2003, she produced the drama Elephant, which was about a school shooting. She said she produced it to understand what young people are going through.

Since 2005, Diane has written for The Huffington Post blog. She has also been the face of L'Oréal since 2006. In 2007, she received a special tribute from the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Diane is against plastic surgery, believing that her face should look natural.

Diane is very active in helping to save and restore historic buildings in Los Angeles. She helped restore the Ennis House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. She also loves Spanish Colonial Revival architecture.

She has also worked as a real estate developer, buying, renovating, and reselling mansions in Southern California. One of her clients was Madonna.

In 2011, Diane wrote her first memoir, Then Again, which used her mother's private journals. In 2012, she narrated Joan Didion's book Slouching Towards Bethlehem as an audiobook.

Her Acting Style and Impact

Diane Keaton is known as "one of the great American actresses" and a style icon. People say her unique style is hard to copy. Critics often point out how good she is at acting in both funny comedies and serious dramas. The New York Times said she was "remarkably skilled" at playing her roles in Woody Allen's comedies. They also noted her ability to always try new things and challenge herself in her acting.

Many people find Diane Keaton easy to relate to because of her "friendly accessibility" and charming, humble personality. She has a "megawatt personality" that makes everything around her sparkle. New York magazine wrote that audiences love her because they connect with the women she plays, who are never simple. She can be serious and silly at the same time, which makes her a perfect modern heroine.

Diane is famous for her "wry sense of humor" and unique style. She often plays "a complex, modern American woman, a paradox of self-doubt and assurance." Her role in Annie Hall was very important for women in American culture. It showed the uncertainty and mixed feelings of a new kind of woman.

Woody Allen once said that Diane Keaton is "the finest screen comedienne we've ever seen," comparing her to Judy Holliday. He said her humor comes from her voice and character, not just the lines she says. Charles Shyer, who directed her in Baby Boom, said she is like classic comedic actresses such as Carole Lombard and Rosalind Russell. In 2017, Diane was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award by the American Film Institute. Her close friend Woody Allen presented the award, and many other famous actors like Steve Martin, Meryl Streep, and Al Pacino paid tribute to her.

Film and TV Roles

Movies

Television Shows

Music Videos

Awards and Special Recognitions

Diane Keaton has won many awards throughout her career. She won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her role in Annie Hall (1977). She also received three more Academy Award nominations for Reds (1981), Marvin's Room (1996), and Something's Gotta Give (2003). She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight (1994). Diane has received 12 Golden Globe Award nominations, winning for Annie Hall (1977) and Something's Gotta Give (2003).

Over the years, Diane has been honored for her acting and her unique fashion sense. In 1991, she received the Hasty Pudding Theatricals Award for Woman of the Year from Harvard University. In 1996, she won the Golden Apple Award as the Female Star of the Year, sharing it with her The First Wives Club co-stars Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler. She also received the Crystal Award in 1997.

In 2004, Diane won the AFI Star Award. In 2005, she received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Hollywood Film Awards. She was honored with the Film Society of Lincoln Center Gala Tribute in 2007. In 2014, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Manaki Brothers Film Festival and the Golden Icon Award at the Zurich Film Festival. In 2017, the American Film Institute gave her a Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented by her good friend and frequent collaborator Woody Allen. Many other famous actors, like Steve Martin, Meryl Streep, and Al Pacino, also spoke about her amazing career. In 2018, she received a Special David award at the David di Donatello Awards.

Images for kids

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  Keaton with Woody Allen and Jerry Lacy in the play Play It Again, Sam (1969/1970)

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  Keaton (right) at the White House with First Lady Nancy Reagan and Warren Beatty (December 1981)

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  Keaton in 2009

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  Keaton at the 2012 Santa Barbara International Film Festival