Woody Allen pays tribute to ‘most unique’ friend and star Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton’s frequent collaborator, Woody Allen, has paid tribute to his longtime friend and one-time partner.

The director, with whom Keaton made eight films, is reportedly “extremely distraught” over her death at the age of 79, saying that “her face and laugh illuminated any space.”

“It’s grammatically incorrect to say ‘most unique’, but all rules of grammar, and I guess anything else, are suspended when talking about Diane Keaton,” wrote Allen in a touching 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.”

Keaton and Allen briefly dated in 1969 when she auditioned for his Broadway play, 'Play It Again, Sam'.

She appeared in eight of the director’s films, including Manhattan, Interiors, Radio Days and perhaps most famously Annie Hall – which earned Keaton an Academy Award in 1978.

Allen complimented Keaton for having a “huge talent for comedies and drama”, noting that she “wrote books, did photography, made collages, decorated homes, and directed films... Finally, she was a million laughs to be around."

Allen added: “The world is constantly being redefined, and with Keaton’s passing it is redefined once again. 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."

Allen’s popularity has diminished over the years, 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.

The director became even more polarizing following allegations of sexual abuse made by his adopted stepdaughter Dylan Farrow.

Allen has consistently denied the accusations, and even after being cleared of wrongdoing, the accusations emerged again amid the #MeToo movement. This led Keaton to defend Allen in 2018.

“Woody Allen is my friend and I continue to believe him,” she wrote on social media. “It might be of interest to take a look at the 60 Minute interview from 1992 and see what you think.”

Countless other stars have paid tribute to Keaton.

Robert De Niro, Jane Fonda, Steve Martin, Leonardo DiCaprio, Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, Michael Douglas and many more have shared how much the great actress will be missed.

Diane Keaton died on Saturday 11 October. No details of her cause of death have been provided.

She is survived by her two children, Dexter and Duke.