Woody Allen pays tribute to Diane Keaton: ‘I made movies for an audience of one’
Filmmaker Woody Allen has paid an emotional tribute to actor Diane Keaton, who died on October 11 in California, recalling their decades-long friendship, creative partnership, and her singular influence on his life and work.
Woody remembers Diane, shares fond memories
In a piece written for The Free Press, Woody wrote, “It’s grammatically wrong to say ‘most unique,’ but when talking about Diane Keaton, grammar doesn’t apply. She was in a category by herself — luminous, funny, eccentric, and completely original.”
Diane, who rose from a small role in Hair to an Academy Award–winning career that helped define modern American cinema, first met Woody during auditions for his 1969 play Play It Again, Sam.
Their working relationship soon became personal. Both shy by nature, they spoke little during the first week of rehearsals. A chance lunch on Eighth Avenue changed that. Woody mentioned that she was so charming and magical that he questioned his sanity, wondering if he was in love with her so quickly.
The pair began a romance that lasted several years and produced some of cinema’s most beloved collaborations, including Play It Again, Sam (1972), Sleeper (1973), Love and Death (1975), and the Oscar-winning Annie Hall (1977).
Diane’s encouragement was instrumental in Woody’s early career. He described showing her his first film, Take the Money and Run, privately, preparing her for disaster. “She sat through it and said it was funny and original. She was right. From that day on, I trusted her judgment completely. I made every movie afterwards for an audience of one, Diane Keaton.”
Allen remembered Keaton as a multi-talented artist, not only an actor but also a singer, dancer, writer, director, and photographer. Talking about her fashion sense, he said that it could fill a museum. It defied logic but always worked.
Diane Keaton’s death
Diane Keaton, the celebrated actor whose career spanned more than five decades, died on 11 October in California at the age of 79. Her passing was met with shock across Hollywood and beyond, as peers and fans mourned the loss of a screen icon known for her wit, originality, and magnetic presence. In the months preceding her death, Diane’s health reportedly declined very suddenly, and she spent her final days surrounded by close family in private. While a cause of death has not been publicly disclosed, her family has requested privacy during this difficult time.
