Diane Keaton’s passing at the age of 79 left the entire entertainment world with a deep hollow. The reason for her demise is still not disclosed, except for the fact that some of her close friends have revealed that her health had ‘declined suddenly’ in the last few months. After her passing, reports claimed that her ex-lover, co-star, and friend, Woody Allen, was ‘upset’ and ‘extremely distraught’ over the same. Diane and Woody dated for a brief period in the 1970s and eventually broke up. However, it was their friendship that remained steady.
They collaborated on several projects, and Diane, being a good friend of Woody, stood by his side, even during the heavy public scrutiny and controversy around him. She publicly defended him by saying that she believed in her friend. However, it’s understandable that Woody might be feeling the depth of losing a friend forever. And now, after a day of the news that shocked everyone, Woody Allen paid a heart-touching tribute to Diane Keaton.
Woody Allen recalls Diane Keaton: From their first meeting to how he fell in love with her quickly
Woody Allen, in a piece written for The Free Press, talked in detail about his bond with Diane Keaton. He called her the ‘most unique’ of a human being. Woody eventually went on to reveal how he and Diane met in the Morosco Theatre for his play, Play It Again, Sam. The actress was selected alongside Woody, with the only ‘glitch’ that she was taller than he was. When that was solved, they started rehearsal. Woody and Diane were both shy, and eventually, they moved forward to spend quality time at a brunch, as Woody described. It took Woody so little time to fall for Diane that it made him question his sanity. Woody shared:
“For the first week of rehearsal we never spoke a word to one another. She was shy, I was shy, and with two shy people things can get pretty dull. Finally, by chance we took a break at the same moment and wound up sharing a fast bite at some Eighth Avenue joint. That was our first moment of personal contact. The upshot is that she was so charming, so beautiful, so magical, that I questioned my sanity. I thought: Could I be in love so quickly?”
In the piece by the FP, Woody Allen shared how Diane Keaton helped him understand modern American cinema. He mentioned that Diane’s review was important to him. If she praised it, he would know it would be a success. However, if she showed less enthusiasm, Woody would take her constructive criticism and reedit. He praised her confidence in her own aesthetic judgment and the fact that she always went with what felt right to her. Woody further talked about Diane’s fashion statement.
Woody Allen recalls witnessing Bulimia, the eating disorder that Diane Keaton suffered from
At the age of 21, Diane Keaton was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, and eventually with squamous cell cancer, for which she had undergone two surgeries. Following this, in 2017, Diane told the LA Times that she even struggled with Bulimia, which is an eating disorder.
In the piece published by the FP, Woody Allen talked about witnessing the same. He shared how he would remain stunned seeing Diane eat like that ‘outside of a documentary on whales’. He recalled how Diane would eat sirloin, hash browns, marble cheesecake, and coffee before the Knicks games they were into, and then would come home and eat again. Talking more about the same, Woody stated:
“During the few years we lived together, she taught me so much. Example: Before I met her I never heard of bulimia. We’d go to Knicks games and after to Frankie and Johnnie’s for a steak. She’d put away a sirloin, hash browns, marble cheesecake, and coffee. Then we’d get home, and moments later she’d be toasting waffles or packing a huge taco with pork. I would stand there, stunned. This slim actress ate like Paul Bunyan. Only years later when she wrote a memoir did she describe her eating disorder, but when I was experiencing it, I could only think I’d never seen anyone eat like that outside of a documentary on whales.”
Woody Allen talks about sweet moments with Diane Keaton and her family, and mentions her passing
Woody Allen further remembered the time when he was invited by her to meet her family. He talked about spending quality time with the actress’s family with Thanksgiving food and poker. Woody further mentioned how Diane had gone out with several fascinating men. Woody shared how he joked with Diane that they would wind up like ‘Norma Desmond and Erich von Stroheim’, once her director and then her chauffeur. Talking about her sudden passing, Woody said:
“But the world is constantly being redefined, and with Keaton’s passing it is redefined once again. A few days ago the world was a place that included Diane Keaton. Now it’s a world that does not. Hence, it’s a drearier world. Still, there are her movies. And her great laugh still echoes in my head.”
Images Courtesy: Getty
What do you think about Woody Allen’s heartfelt tribute to Diane Keaton?
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