The late Diane Keaton had a lot of friends in the movie industry, including director Woody Allen.
A spokesperson confirmed to People on Saturday, October 11, that the famed actress died in California. She was 79. As fans remembered her many iconic roles and unconventional decision to become a single mom well into her 50s, people recalled her public romances to Al Pacino, Warren Beatty, and Allen, 89.
Keaton and Allen first met in 1969, when the actress auditioned for a role in his stage production of Play It Again, Sam. The pair would ultimately go on to work on eight films together.
“He could always get the girls, you know,” Keaton told The New Yorker of Allen in a 1996 interview. “Girls have always liked him and had crushes on him because he’s so funny and talented.”
Allen and Keaton dated for at least three years, and went on to work together throughout the decades that followed. Keep scrolling to learn more about Diane Keaton’s friendship with Woody Allen.
They First Met in 1969
Diane Keaton and Woody Allen Pierre Venant/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images
Keaton and Allen met when the actress auditioned for a role in the stage production of Allen’s Play It Again, Sam. In a 1996 interview with The New Yorker, Keaton admitted she was “crazy about” Allen at the time.
They Were in a Romantic Relationship
The New Yorker reported Keaton and Allen dated for three years, though the Daily Mail noted in 2011 that they were together for five.
They Worked on 8 Movies Together
Keaton and Allen also enjoyed a prolific professional relationship and collaborated on eight movies together: Annie Hall, the film adaptation of Play It Again, Sam, Sleeper, Love and Death, Interiors, Manhattan, Radio Days, and Manhattan Murder Mystery.
In his 2020 memoir Apropos of Nothing, Allen wrote of the dynamic, “I still consult her on casting sometimes or any creative problems I might be struggling with.”
Woody Allen Wasn’t Sure About Annie Hall
Diane Keaton and Woody Allen Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Despite the success the movie enjoyed — and the fact that Keaton won the Oscar for Best Actress — Allen wasn’t exactly sure the film would be well received.
“He is so hilarious and I just adored him, I really did,” Keaton told People in 2017, going on to add thatAllen used their relationship as inspiration for the movie.
He didn’t know if the movie would work,” she explained at the time. “He would say, ‘It’s just another sitcom.’ I knew it was a great script.”
Keaton Defended Allen Against Multiple Allegations of Sexual Assault
In 2018, Keaton took to X (then-Twitter) to defend Allen against long-standing allegations of sexual assault.
The actress shared a clip of Allen’s 1992 60 Minutes interview on the platform, adding, “Woody Allen is my friend and I continue to believe him. It might be of interest to take a look at the 60 Minute interview from 1992 and see what you think.”
Woody Allen Also Dated Diane Keaton’s Sisters
Allen also had a relationship with Diane’s sister Robin Keaton as well as her sister Dory Keaton. “I became interested in [Diane] and interested in her sisters and her mother as people,” he told the New Yorker in 1996.
In his 2020 memoir, he further elaborated: “I dated her beautiful sister, Robin, and we had a brief romance. After that I dated her other beautiful sister, Dory, and we had a little fling. The three Keaton sisters were all beautiful, wonderful women. Good genes in that family.”
