Why Diane Keaton Never Married
What Diane Keaton Has Said About Never Getting Married
âWifeâ was a role Diane Keaton never wanted.Â
Prior to the Oscar winnerâs death at age 79, she had several high-profile romances with fellow costars including Warren Beatty, Al Pacino and her Annie Hall costar Woody Allen, but she often spoke about why she preferred living single, and ultimately never married.Â
âI think that Iâm strange,â Dianeâwho welcomed kids Dexter, 29, and Duke, 25, through adoptionâadmitted to People in a 2019 interview. âI think Iâm the only one in my generation and maybe before who has been a single woman all her life.â
However, the Because I Said So actress admitted she felt she was missing a “nurturing” quality that was expected of married women.Â
âI think that I needed more of a maternal aspect,â she considered. âI donât think it would have been a good idea for me to have married, and Iâm really glad I didnât, and Iâm sure theyâre happy about it, too.â
As she put it, âIâm an oddball.â
And though Diane had no problem pursuing some flings in her life, she never felt pulled to be a wife.Â
âI remember one day in high school, this guy came up to me and said, âOne day youâre going to make a good wife,ââ she recalled. âAnd I thought, âI donât want to be a wife. No.ââ
Looking back at her dating record, though, Diane also was less than impressedâespecially when it came to pursuing her costars.Â
âWhen I was young, I was looking to be loved by these extraordinary people,â she continued. âI think I should not have been so seduced by talent. When youâre both doing the same job, itâs not so great. I should have found just a nice human being, kind of a family guy.â
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Ultimately, the Somethingâs Gotta Give actress found a life companion in her golden retriever Reggie.Â
âI just love her,â she gushed to AARP in 2023. âDogs are irresistible. Theyâre just idiots. Reggie is a big jerk, and sheâs a great jerk, and sheâs hilarious.â
With the affection she received from her pet, the Book Club actress was over even the dating scene in her final years.Â
âI donât date,â she added to the magazine. âHighly unlikely. I donât remember anyone calling me, going, âThis is So-and-So. Iâd like to take you out.â They donât happen. Of course not.â
Despite never marrying, there were plenty of stars who held Diane very dear. Keep reading for every tribute to the legendary actressâŠ
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Andy Garcia
“The magical Diane Keaton has passed,” he wrote on social media. “Diane will be deeply missed. She will continue to be an American original. A truly unique and sublime artist. A unicorn of sorts. No one like her. Her light will continue to shine forever.”
He continued, “In fact, it will shine even brighter as the years pass. A beacon of spontaneity and originality that we all strive for. I was blessed to be in her light. I will carry it with me forever.â
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Michael Douglas
“RIP to my friend Diane Keaton. A heartbreaking loss of one of the greatest icons in our industry,” he wrote on Instagram. “I have so many fond memories of working with Diane on our film And So It Goes nearly twelve years ago. Sending my deepest condolences to the Keaton family during this difficult time.”
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Cynthia Nixon
“When I was a kid, Diane Keaton was my absolute idol,” the Sex and the City alum wrote. “I loved her acting. I loved her vibe. I loved her everything. Starting with when I was 12, I tried to dress like her. I wore my hair long. I sported menâs hats and vests and (even though my eyes were fine) I wore bookish glasses because I thought they made me look more like her.”
She continued, “A little more than a decade ago I got to be in a movie called Five Flights Up with her and it was like a dream come true. I was very shy around her, but I think she liked me and that meant everything to me.”
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Sarah Jessica Parker
“Diane Keaton has been a point of inspiration for countless actresses,” she wrote. “I include myself among those who loved and admired her. I was very privileged to witness her singular skill and talent on both First Wives Club and The Family Stone.”
She continued, “I will cherish those memories on set as well her touching, delightful and perfectly own cinematic career. Which is a gorgeous legacy of an exquisite person. She will be terribly missed.”
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Leonardo DiCaprio
The actor remembered his time working with Diane early in his career, writing, “Diane Keaton was one of a kind. Brilliant, funny, and unapologetically herself. A legend, an icon, and a truly kind human being.”
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Steve Martin
The comedian shared a screenshot of an article, in which Martin Short asked Diane, “Who’s sexier, me or Steve Martin?” To which Diane replied, “I mean, you’re both idiots.”
Steve captioned his post, “Donât know who first posted this, but it sums up our delightful relationship with Diane.”
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Kate Hudson
Under a scene from First Wives Club, Kate wrote on social media, “We love you so much Diane.”
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Melissa Rivers
“Diane Keaton could do anything,” she wrote on Instagram. “From dramatic roles like Kay Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, to her hilariously offbeat portrayal of Annie Hall, which won her an Oscar, her talent seemed limitless. I also remember her lovely cold call to my mom after the release of her documentary, A Piece of Work, just to share her admiration. She will be greatly missed.”
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Octavia Spencer
“Today we lost a true original,” she said. “@diane_keaton wasnât just an actress: she was a force. a woman who showed us that being yourself is the most powerful thing you can be.”
She continued, “From Annie Hall to Somethingâs Gotta Give, she made every role unforgettable. But beyond the screen, she brought joy, laughter, and style that was all her own. Thank you, Diane, for reminding us that authenticity never goes out of fashion.”
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Elizabeth Banks
“She was beloved in her industry,” Elizabeth said on Instagram. “Every one of us idolizes her. Her influence on culture, fashion, art and women canât be overstated. She was a delight. I am proud I have a career that allowed me to meet her and breathe her air.”
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Nia Vardalos
“Grace. Style. Talent,” the My Big Fat Greek Wedding star wrote on Instagram. “Above all, a comedy gal who set the bar high for all of us who came after. Rest in peace sweet and funny Diane Keaton.”
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Bette Midler
“The brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary Diane Keaton has died,” Bette wrote in her Instagram tribute. “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 wasâŠoh, la, lala!
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Kimberly Williams-Paisley
“Diane, working with you will always be one of the highlights of my life,” the Father of the Bride star wrote on Instagram. “You are one of a kind, and it was thrilling to be in your orbit for a time. Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, your talent, and above all, your laughter.”
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Viola Davis
No!! No!!! No!! God, not yet, NO!!! Man⊠you defined womanhood,” she noted on Instagram. “The pathos, humor, levity, your ever-present youthfulness and vulnerability â you tattooed your SOUL into every role, making it impossible to imagine anyone else inhabiting them. You were undeniably, unapologetically YOU!!! Loved you. Man⊠rest well. God bless your family, and I know angels are flying you home.
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Luke Evans
“What a very sad day. Rest in peace #dianekeaton,” he wrote on Instagram “Such a brilliant actor, a kind heart and full of graciousness with a shining independent spirit.”
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Josh Gad
“What a monumental loss,” he wrote on Instagram. “Diane Keaton in many ways defined my love of movies. From Annie Hall to the Godfather films, from First Wives Club to Baby Boom, from Father of the Bride to Somethingâs Gotta Give, here resume was nothing short of iconic and hall of fame worthy.”
“I was very fortunate to work with her many years ago on an unproduced HBO pilot,” Josh continued, “and what I found was one of the most humble, ruthlessly funny, and unbelievably talented human beings Iâve ever come across.”
He added, “In many ways, this year will be defined by the loss of a Hollywood we will never again see. There simply are no replacements for a Gene Hackman or a Robert Redford or a Diane Keaton. They were the mavericks who helped redefine movies for a generation and losing them feels like also losing a chance inactive tissue to that golden age just out of reach. My heart goes out to Dianeâs entire family during this impossible moment. RIP”
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Zac Posen
“Diane Keaton is gone,” the designer wrote on Instagram, “and though I only knew her through the light she gave on screen, Iâll miss that light deeply.”
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