Woody Allen has penned a heartfelt remembrance of Diane Keaton following the actor’s death at 79, sharing intimate memories of their romance and legendary creative partnership in an essay published by The Free Press.
“Unlike anyone the planet has experienced or is unlikely to ever see again, her face and laugh illuminated any space she entered,” Allen wrote in the piece.
The director recalled their first meeting at an audition for his 1969 play “Play It Again, Sam” at the Morosco Theatre. Keaton, fresh from Orange County and working as a coat check girl while performing in “Hair,” had been recommended by acting teacher Sandy Meisner.
“If Huckleberry Finn was a gorgeous young woman, he’d be Keaton,” Allen remembered thinking upon first seeing her.
The pair initially struggled to connect during the first week of rehearsals. “She was shy, I was shy, and with two shy people things can get pretty dull,” Allen wrote. But after sharing a quick meal during a break, everything changed. “She was so charming, so beautiful, so magical, that I questioned my sanity. I thought: Could I be in love so quickly?”
By the time the show opened in Washington, D.C., they had become romantically involved. Keaton proved to be Allen’s most trusted creative collaborator, offering feedback on his films that he valued above all else.
“As time went on I made movies for an audience of one, Diane Keaton,” Allen revealed. “I never read a single review of my work and cared only what Keaton had to say about it.”
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Allen praised Keaton’s multifaceted talents beyond acting, noting her work as a writer, photographer, collage artist, home decorator, and director. He also admired her unwavering aesthetic judgment, recalling how she wouldn’t hesitate to critique even Shakespeare if she felt the Bard had “gone wrong.”
The essay included colorful anecdotes from their time together, including a memorable Thanksgiving at Keaton’s Orange County home where Allen played penny poker with her family and “cleared about 80 cents.”
“This beautiful yokel went on to become an award-winning actress and sophisticated fashion icon,” Allen wrote. “We had a few great personal years together and finally we both moved on, and why we parted only God and Freud might be able to figure out.”
Allen concluded with a poignant reflection on Keaton’s legacy: “A few days ago the world was a place that included Diane Keaton. Now it’s a world that does not. Hence, it’s a drearier world. Still, there are her movies. And her great laugh still echoes in my head.”
Keaton starred in eight of Allen’s 50 films, including “Annie Hall,” “Manhattan,” and “Radio Days.”
Allen has remained a polarizing figure in Hollywood following his relationship with Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of his former partner Mia Farrow. Allen and Previn, who have been married for more than two decades, began their relationship while Allen was still involved with Farrow. During the subsequent custody battle, Farrow alleged that Allen had behaved inappropriately with their daughter Dylan Farrow. Allen has consistently denied the allegations.
The accusations emerged again amid the #MeToo movement, prompting Keaton to publicly defend her longtime collaborator on social media. “Woody Allen is my friend and I continue to believe him,” Keaton wrote at the time. “It might be of interest to take a look at the ’60 Minutes’ interview from 1992 and see what you think.”
In 2017, Allen presented Keaton with the AFI Life Achievement Award. “The minute I met her, she was a great, great inspiration to me,” Allen said during the ceremony. “Much of what I’ve accomplished in my life I owe, for sure, to her. Seeing life through her eyes. She really is astonishing. This is a woman who is great at everything she does.”
From Variety US