‘An icon of style, humor and comedy’

Actress Diane Keaton shot to fame in the 1970s

- LAURA HARDING

(Willy Sanjuan/AP)

TRIBUTES have been paid to the “brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary” actress Diane Keaton, best known for roles in Annie Hall and The Godfather, who has died at the age of 79.

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

The actress shot to fame in the 1970s with her role as Kay Adams in The Godfather, as well as her collaborations with Woody Allen.

She won an Oscar for Allen’s influential film Annie Hall and became associated with the title character's menswear-centric wardrobe. Her many beloved films included The First Wives Club, Father Of The Bride, The Family Stone, Something’s Gotta Give and The Book Club movies.

Her First Wives Club costar Bette Midler wrote on Instagram: “The brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary Diane Keaton has died. I cannot tell you how unbearably sad this makes me. She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star. What you saw was who she was ... oh, la, lala!”

Actor Ben Stiller paid tribute on X, writing: “Diane Keaton. One of the greatest film actors ever. An icon of style, humor and comedy. Brilliant. What a person.”