Diane Keaton charmed with kooky roles such as Annie Hall

Diane Keaton, the quirky American actress who won an Academy Award and captured hearts with her endearing performance as American director-actor Woody Allen’s eccentric, insecure girlfriend in the 1977 romantic comedy Annie Hall, has died at the age of 79, People reported on Oct Il, citing a family spokesperson.

- 

A representative for Keaton could not immediately be reached.

Keaton, who appeared in more than 60 films, including The Godfather trilogy (1972 to 1990), The First Wives Club (1996) and eight films with Allen, stood out in Hollywood with a personal style that favoured androgynous looks, turtleneck sweaters and her trademark hats.

She earned Oscar nominations for best actress for her portrayal of US journalist Louise Bryant in the 1981 political drama Reds, as a caring aunt to Leonardo DiCaprio in the 1996 family saga Marvin's Room and opposite Jack Nicholson in the 2003 romantic comedy Something’s Gotta Give.

But it was Annie Hall, which Allen loosely based on his relationship with Keaton, that established her as a consummate actress.

“Tt was an idealised version of me, Jet’s put it that way,’ Keaton said about the film in an interview with CBS News in 2004.

Annie Hall and Keaton’s dramatic turn as a dedicated teacher by day and prowler of singles’ bars at night in Looking For Mr Goodbar (1977) landed her on the cover of Time magazine in September 1977.

Rolling Stone magazine described her as “the next (Katharine) Hepburn” in its June 30 issue that year.

Forty years later, Allen paid tribute to his early muse when Keaton received the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award for her body of work.