Francis Ford Coppola pays tribute to the ‘extraordinary’ Diane Keaton

American filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola has paid tribute to the “extraordinary” Diane Keaton, following her death aged 79.

He joins a string of actors and directors, including Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, Paul Feig and Ben Stiller, who have remembered the actress best known for her role as Kay Adams in The Godfather and collaborations with Woody Allen.

In a post shared on his Instagram page, Coppola said: “Words can’t express the wonder and talent of Diane Keaton. Endlessly intelligent, so beautiful.

“From her earliest performances in ‘Hair’ and throughout her amazing career, she was an extraordinary actor.

“I saw her in the film ‘Lovers and Other Strangers’ and knew I had to have her play Kay in The Godfather, (which she told me she based on my wife Ellie) and her wonderful work in ‘Annie Hall’ while simultaneously setting a new fashion trend.

“Everything about Diane was creativity personified.”

Keaton made her film debut in 1970’s Lovers And Other Strangers but shot to fame in 1972 after playing Kay, the girlfriend and then wife of Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone in Coppola’s The Godfather – a role which she reprised in 1974’s The Godfather Part II and 1990’s The Godfather Part III.

She went on to have a long career as a film actress, appearing in Father Of The Bride, The Family Stone, Something’s Gotta Give and The Book Club movies.

Her final films were Summer Camp and Arthur’s Whisky in 2024, and it appears she had not started filming anything else.

Following the news of her death, Hawn and Midler, who starred opposite Keaton in 1996’s First Wives Club, about three women whose husbands had left them for younger women, paid tribute to Keaton.

In a post on Instagram, Hawn said she left “memories beyond imagination”.

“You’ve left us with a trail of fairy dust, filled with particles of light and memories beyond imagination,” she said.

“You stole the hearts of the world and shared your genius with millions, making films that made us laugh and cry in ways only you could.”

While Midler wrote on Instagram: “She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star.”

Jane Fonda, who starred alongside Keaton in The Book Club, described Keaton in a post on Instagram as “a spark of life and light” with Stiller calling her “one of the greatest film actors ever” in a post on X.

Father Of The Bride’s Steve Martin also paid tribute to Keaton, making fun of their “delightful relationship” and Kimberly Williams, who also appeared in the film, said in a post on Instagram that working with her “will always be one of the highlights of my life”.

She added: “Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, your talent, and above all, your laughter.”

Other stars who have paid tribute include Viola Davis who said Keaton “defined womanhood” and singer Carly Simon described her as “one of the greatest actors ever to grace the screen”.

Actress Octavia Spencer said she was a “true original” and thanked the actress for “reminding us that authenticity never goes out of fashion”.

Director Paul Feig said on X he had been “honoured” to call Keaton a friend, adding: “She was an amazingly kind and creative person who also just happened to be a Hollywood legend.

“She has been taken from us far too soon. We will miss you, Diane.”

Keaton was nominated for Oscars for her roles in Something’s Gotta Give, Marvin’s Room and Reds, in which she starred opposite Warren Beatty.

For a large part of her career she collaborated with Allen, her one-time boyfriend, including on Annie Hall which she won the Oscar for best actress and has since become associated with the title character’s menswear-centric wardrobe.

Keaton also worked with Allen on Manhattan, Sleeper, Manhattan Murder Mystery, and Play It Again, Sam.

The actress worked frequently with Nancy Meyers including on 1987’s Baby Boom, 1991’s Father Of The Bride and its 1995 sequel, as well as 2003’s Something’s Gotta Give.

More recently she collaborated with Fonda, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen on The Book Club films.

Bergen told the PA news agency that Keaton’s death was “a huge loss both personally and for all of us”.

In 1996, Keaton adopted a daughter, Dexter, and a son, Duke, four years later, however, never married.

A family spokesperson told US magazine, People, that Keaton’s loved ones have asked for privacy after she died in California.