Should you have missed the chance to see a Diane Keaton movie this past weekend, I trust it's on your agenda for an upcoming film viewing. The iconic, cherished performer has died at the age of 79, a fact that was verified on Saturday.
TL;DR
- Iconic actress Diane Keaton died at 79, celebrated for her unique style and versatile roles.
- Keaton starred in over 100 productions, including The First Wives Club and The Godfather.
- She embraced single motherhood and portrayed vibrant older women in her later career.
- Keaton championed individuality, opting against marriage and influencing fashion for women.
The immense affection shown for the actress in the days following her passing has underscored her unique appeal. Keaton participated in over 100 film and television productions, spanning from The First Wives Club to The Godfather. Her versatility shone through in both comedic and dramatic roles. She possessed a singular, memorable style—a genuine iconoclast.
She was a style icon, with her oversized clothes, men’s suiting, bowler hats, and gloves. Her own fashion shaped her characters, rather than the other way around, starting with Annie Hall, for which she won the Oscar. She dressed for herself, not for the male gaze. And she showed women that they could, too. That there were ways to be in the world, to present to the world that perhaps they hadn’t even thought of yet.
Keaton forged her own way in more than just fashion. Despite relationships with numerous prominent Hollywood figures, she opted against marriage. In 2019, she spoke about that choice. She expressed contentment with her decision not to marry, stating, “I remember one day in high school, this guy came up to me and said, ‘One day you’re going to make a good wife,'”, according to her. “And I thought, ‘I don’t want to be a wife. No.’”
In her fifties, Keaton became a single mother to two children. “Motherhood was not an urge I couldn’t resist,” she said. “It was more like a thought I’d been thinking for a very long time. So I plunged in.”
In her later career, Keaton embodied some of her most memorable characters, portraying older women as enjoyable, glamorous, and occasionally whimsical. Her partnership with Nancy Meyers—Something’s Gotta Give— established that approach twenty years prior. Her roles featured her as a romantic protagonist even past age seventy. She demonstrated that films centered on lively older women could succeed commercially, countering a perception that such narratives are rare.
Keaton described herself presented herself as a “odd ball” when discussing her decision to stay unmarried. She normalized—even celebrated—the idea, encouraging other women to embrace their uniqueness as well.
Emma Hinchliffe
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PARTING WORDS
"You’ve got to be great when the lights aren’t on you. You’ve got to be great when nobody’s in the gym with you. You’ve got to be great when you may not get anything on the end."
—A'ja Wilson on winning her third WNBA championship with the Las Vegas Aces in four years