Hollywood icon Keaton was a fiercely independent actor

The Oscar-winning star of the silver screen has died aged 79

- MIKE BEDIGAN

For Diane Keaton, the concept of slowing down for anything or anyone was unthinkable, as she exemplified by pushing on relentlessly with her remarkable career well into her final years.

“I never understood the idea that you're supposed to mellow as you get older,” Keaton told AARP in 2012. “Slowing down isn't something I relate to at all. The goal is to continue in good and bad, all of it. To continue to express myself, particularly.”

The actor's fierce independence and individuality was as evident in all aspects of her life, from her onscreen performances to her iconic androgynous wardrobe and eclectic habit of drinking red wine with ice. She remained grounded despite her immense fame, telling The Independent in 2015 that she took her fashion inspiration from “people off the street”.

Keaton, who has died at the age of 79, enjoyed a sparkling career spanning five decades, during which time she won a Bafta, two Golden Globes and the coveted Academy Award for Best Actress.

That prize was given to her for her role in Woody Allen's 1977 film Annie Hall, in which she played the starring role. Keaton continued to work with the controversial director for years after and appeared in eight more of his movies, including Interiors and Manhattan Murder Mystery. He presented her with an AFI Life Achievement Award in 2017.

“She could be funny and incredibly effective dramatically. She was brilliant,” Allen told The Independent previously. “Anything Keaton turned her talent to, whatever it was, she was great at. There was nothing she couldn’t do.”

Away from Allen, her role in Francis Ford Coppola’s epic mafia trilogy