Theatre News

Tony nominee and Oscar winner Diane Keaton has died aged 79

David Gordon

David Gordon

| International |

12 October 2025

keaton
Diane Keaton, © es:Ruven Afanador, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Academy Award winner Diane Keaton has died at the age of 79, according to People. No cause of death or other details are currently available.

Prior to becoming a Hollywood icon, Keaton got her start on stage. One of her earliest roles was as Blanche DuBois in a high school production of A Streetcar Named Desire. She dropped out of college and moved to New York, studying at the Neighborhood Playhouse before landing her Broadway debut in the original production of Hair. Understudying the role of Sheila, she famously refused to perform during the scene where cast disrobes.

Keaton left Hair after nine months when she landed Woody Allen’s Play It Again, Sam. Her turn earned her a Tony Award nomination; it marked Keaton’s second and final Broadway role.

She was known for her cinematic collaborations with Allen, working together on eight films between 1971 and 1993 (they were also briefly romantic partners). In addition to Play It Again, Sam onstage and screen, their films together include SleeperLove and DeathInteriorsManhattanManhattan Murder Mystery, and Annie Hall, which earned her an Oscar.

In addition, Keaton was known for playing Kay Corleone in the Godfather trilogy, Louise Bryant in Reds, Theresa Dunn in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Anne in The First Wives Club, and comedies like Hanging UpSomething’s Gotta Give, and the Father of the Bride series.

Keaton is survived by her two children.

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