Diane Keaton, Oscar-winning actress, dies at 79

Diane Keaton, the Oscar‑winning actress whose idiosyncratic performances and offbeat style helped define American cinema from the 1970s onward, died Oct. 11 in California. She was 79, her family said, adding that they are requesting privacy; no cause of death has been released.

Keaton rose from Broadway to Hollywood stardom after early stage work in the late 1960s. Her breakthrough came with the role of Kay Adams in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, which she reprised in the sequel and returned to in the third installment. She forged a long creative partnership with filmmaker Woody Allen, appearing in several of his films and winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for Annie Hall in 1977. Directors and colleagues praised her range, noting that she could convey comic eccentricity and deep vulnerability in equal measure.

Across a career spanning more than five decades, Keaton moved fluidly between drama and comedy. She received additional Academy Award nominations for Reds (1981), Marvins Room (1996) and Somethings Gotta Give (2003). Her filmography includes Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Manhattan, Baby Boom, Father of the Bride and its sequels, The First Wives Club and more...