Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton dies at the age of 79

Diane Keaton, the Oscar-winning star of ‘Annie Hall', died at the age of 79 on Saturday, a family spokesperson told People magazine.

The legendary actress was best known for her many collaborations with Woody Allen, as well as films including Reds, The First Wives Club, and Book Club.

Keaton died surrounded by loved ones, according to People magazine, with no further details about the circumstances of her death having been revealed at this time.

Born in 1946 in Los Angeles, the American actor made her Hollywood debut in ‘Honeymoon in Vegas’ in 1970. Her long filmography includes a role in ‘The Godfather,’ in which she plays Al Pacino's wife, and numerous hits by Woody Allen, with whom she remained friends after having been his long-time partner, muse, and favourite actress.

The unexpected news was met with shock around the world, as Keaton was the kind of actor who helped make films iconic and timeless - from her “La-dee-da, la-dee-da” phrasing as Annie Hall, bedecked in that necktie, bowler hat, vest, and khakis, to her heartbreaking turn as Kay Adams, the woman unfortunate enough to join the Corleone family.

She played a businesswoman who unexpectedly inherits an infant in “Baby Boom” and a divorced playwright who gets involved with Jack Nicholson's music executive in “Something's Gotta Give.”

Her star-making performances in the 1970s, many of which were in Woody Allen films, were not a flash in the pan either, and she would continue to charm new generations for decades, thanks in part to a longstanding collaboration with filmmaker Nancy Meyers.