Woody Allen is paying heartfelt homage to his muse from Annie Hall. Following the passing of Diane Keaton on October 11 at the age of 79, the renowned director penned an emotionally charged tribute to the Oscar-winning actress, with whom he shared a romantic relationship from 1969 to 1972.
"It's grammatically incorrect to say 'most unique,' but all rules of grammar, and I suppose any other conventions, pale in comparison when discussing Diane Keaton," Allen wrote in an essay published by The Free Press on October 12. "Unlike anyone this planet has ever known or is likely to encounter again, her face and laughter illuminated every space she graced."
The director of Annie Hall reminisced about his first encounter with Keaton before his 1969 Broadway production, Play It Again, Sam. "I first caught sight of her lanky beauty at an audition," he wrote, "and thought, 'If Huckleberry Finn were a stunning young woman, he'd be Keaton.'" Despite their close proximity, Allen—who starred opposite Keaton in both the play and its 1972 film adaptation—revealed that it took over a week for them to strike up a conversation. "She was shy, I was shy, and with two timid souls, things can get rather monotonous," he recounted.
Eventually, after a rehearsal, the pair went out for dinner—and Allen found himself utterly smitten. "The result was that she was so enchanting, so exquisite, so magical, that I questioned my own sanity," the 89-year-old filmmaker wrote. "I wondered: Could I fall in love so swiftly?"
As their bond deepened, Keaton—who appeared in eight of Allen's 50 films, including Sleeper, Manhattan, and Love and Death—became his trusted confidante. "Over time, I made movies for an audience of one: Diane Keaton," he confessed. "I never read a single review of my work and cared solely about Keaton's opinion. If she approved, I considered the film an artistic triumph."
Allen lauded her artistic sensibility, her audacious fashion choices, and her zest for life. "She possessed immense talent for both comedy and drama, but she could also dance and sing with heartfelt emotion," Allen wrote. "She authored books, pursued photography, created collages, decorated homes, and even directed films. Above all, she was an absolute delight to be around."
"A few days ago, the world included Diane Keaton," he concluded. "Now, it does not. Consequently, it's a far gloomier place. Yet, her films remain. And her infectious laugh still echoes in my mind."
Despite Allen becoming a polarizing figure in Hollywood following his relationship with Soon-Yi Previn—the adopted daughter of his former partner, Mia Farrow—Diane remained one of his closest friends. When Allen—who married Previn in 1997 while still romantically involved with Farrow—faced accusations in 2018 of sexually abusing his and Farrow's daughter, Dylan Farrow, Keaton stood by his side. (Allen has vehemently denied all allegations.)
As she tweeted at the time, "Woody Allen is my friend, and I continue to believe him."