Diane Keaton

About Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton (née Hall; born January 5, 1946) is an American film actress, director and producer. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970. Her first major film role was as Kay Adams in The Godfather (1972), but the films that shaped her early career were those with director and co-star Woody Allen, beginning with Play It Again, Sam (1972). Her next two films for Allen were Sleeper (1973) and Love and Death (1975) and they established her as a comic actress. Her fourth film for Allen, the semi-autobiographical Annie Hall (1977) won her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Keaton subsequently expanded her range, as can be seen in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and her Academy Award nominations for Reds (1981) and Marvin's Room (1996). Some of her popular later films include Father of the Bride (1991), The First Wives Club (1996), and Something's Gotta Give (2003). Films Keaton has been in have earned a cumulative gross of over USD$1.1 billion in North America. In addition to acting, she is also a photographer, real estate developer, and occasional singer.

Born Diane Hall in Los Angeles, California, she's the oldest of four children. Diane has a brother named Randy Hall (b.March 21, 1948) and two sisters named Robin Hall (b.March 27, 1951) and Dorrie Hall (b.April 1, 1953). Her mother, Dorothy (née Keaton; b. 1921), was a homemaker and amateur photographer, and her father, Jack Hall (1921–1990), was a real estate broker and civil engineer. Her father came from an Irish American Catholic background, and her mother came from a Methodist family. Keaton was raised a Methodist by her mother. Her first ambition to become an actor came after seeing her mother win the "Mrs. Los Angeles" pageant for homemakers. Keaton claimed that the theatricality of the event inspired her to become a stage actor. She has also credited Katharine Hepburn, whom she admires for playing strong and independent women, as one of her inspirations.