DIANE KEATON

Hollywood says goodbye to an icon, a friend and a 'complete original'

- MICHAEL KILLINGSWORTH

She was acclaimed, accomplished and undeniably loved. The death of Diane Keaton, at 79, ushered in a flood of tributes that highlighted her legacy in Hollywood and, more notably, the formidable woman she was.

“It’s hard to believe...or accept...that Diane has passed,” wrote fellow Oscar winner Jane Fonda, who worked with the actress in 2018’s Book Club and its sequel – both, fittingly, about women embracing the moment. “She was always a spark of life and light, constantly giggling at her foibles, being limitlessly creative... Unique is what she was.”

Echoing the sentiment, Bette Midler remembered her peer in The First Wives Club (1996) as “a complete original and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star.”

Keanu Reeves, meanwhile, described his love interest in Something’s Gotta Give (2003) as a “generous artist and a very special, unique person. She was very nice to me,” the Canadian actor told E! News.

HOLLYWOOD JOURNEY

Diane’s sudden passing on Oct. 11 – in her native California – took the world by surprise. Four days later, her family issued a statement expressing gratitude for “messages of love and support” they’d received and revealing she’d succumbed to pneumonia. “[Diane] loved her animals, and she was steadfast in her support of the unhoused community, so any donations in her memory to a local food bank or an animal shelter would be a wonderful and much appreciated tribute to her,” they told People. Her very last Instagram post – in April – featured her beloved golden retriever, Reggie.