Diane Keaton’s Most Memorable Roles: From ‘The Godfather’ to ‘The Family Stone’

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Diane Keaton's Most Memorable Roles: From 'The Godfather' to 'The Family Stone'

Officially an icon! Diane Keaton has been captivating viewers since the 1970s — and she shows no signs of stopping. Following her theatrical debut in the original 1968 production of Broadway’s Hair, the California native turned to film. Her first role was in 1970’s Lovers and Other Strangers, two years before she got her big break in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. “I always thought I was the most outsider, weird person in the movie, and 'Why was I cast in it?' and I had no voice,” Keaton said of her character, Kay Adams, while celebrating the original movie’s 45th anniversary at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. "But then I had a couple of good scenes with Al [Pacino].” At the time, the Oscar winner confessed that she hadn’t seen the iconic mafia movie in nearly three decades. “I saw it on my computer. I hadn't seen it for I think about 30 years,” she said. “And … I just remember all the people, I couldn't handle it, it was so astonishing, it was so beautiful, and everybody is so great in it, and the music, and every choice [Coppola] made.” Keaton went on to appear in the franchise’s 1974 sequel and 1990 follow-up. While her dramatic turns are award-worthy, fans also love the Then Again author’s comedic timing in Annie Hall, Father of the Bride, The Family Stone and more. “Diane, of course, she was kind of our leader on the movie,” costar Luke Wilson exclusively told Us Weekly in December 2021 of working alongside the iconic actress in The Family Stone. “She would never say that but everyone was so admiring of her.” Keaton, for her part, was intrigued by her character in the holiday film, Sybil Stone, a strong-willed mother of five. “She's not an over-the-shoulder mom or a sweet mom or a mean mom. She's a progressive woman who made a choice and decided that her family would be her career and her passion and her celebration,” the actress told The Baltimore Sun in 2005. “She gave her whole life and energy and considerable brain to it. … Sybil Stone grapples with pain and fear, but is invigorated and kind of saved by her family. That's such a positive statement to have, especially at Christmastime.” The Book Club star has two adopted children of her own, daughter Dexter and son Duke, and has never been married, despite high-profile relationships with Pacino, Woody Allen and Warren Beatty. “I saw how much [my mother] gave up. … I think that she is the reason why I didn’t get married,” Keaton told Interview magazine in June 2021. “I didn’t want to give up my independence.” Scroll down for a look back at Keaton’s most memorable roles through the years: [podcast_block]

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The Godfather series (1970s)

Keaton played Kay Adams throughout the trilogy, which began in 1972. Kay is the longtime love and eventual second wife of Michael Corleone (Pacino). As a non-Italian, she’s unfamiliar with the Corleones’ world — and initially doesn’t know about Don Vito Corleone’s (Marlon Brando) mafia connections. In the 1974 sequel, Kay and Michael separate, leading her to wed Douglas Michelson by the third movie. 

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Annie Hall (1977)

Allen, who costars as Alvy Singer, wrote the title character of this critically acclaimed film specifically for Keaton. The pair’s undeniable chemistry helped them bring home the trophy for Best Picture at the 1978 Oscars. Keaton also won an individual honor for Best Actress.

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Crimes of the Heart (1986)

The Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty writer joins Jessica Lange, Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard and Tess Harper in the film adaptation of Beth Henley’s play of the same name, which follows three sisters who reunite after one (Spacek) shoots her husband.

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Father of the Bride (1991)

This beloved rom-com focuses on Nina (Keaton) and her husband, George Banks (Steve Martin), who struggles with the idea of eldest daughter Annie (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) moving out and getting engaged. Its sequel debuted in 1995, and the cast reunited 25 years later for a shortened part three.

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The First Wives Club (1996)

Longtime pals Elise (Goldie Hawn), Brenda (Bette Midler) and Annie (Keaton) are forced to reckon with their age — and seek their revenge — as their husbands leave them for younger women. The fan-favorite movie was adapted into a stage show, was rumored to have inspired a TV series and remains an iconic pop culture reference.

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Marvin's Room (1996)

The same year First Wives Club hit theaters, Keaton starred in this acclaimed family drama alongside Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Hume Cronyn, Gwen Verdon, Hal Scardino and Dan Hedaya. The movie earned Keaton her third Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

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Something's Gotta Give (2003)

Nancy Meyers fans fell head over heels for this swoon-worthy romance, which also features Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves. Both a box office hit and critical success, the film’s leading lady won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical and was nominated for her fourth Academy Award.

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The Family Stone (2005)

Nothing says Christmas quite like family drama — and this movie is full of it. Craig T. Nelson, Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Wilson, Claire Danes and Rachel McAdams join Keaton in this complicated holiday classic.

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Because I Said So (2007)

In this heartwarming comedy, the Brother & Sister author portrays Daphne, a well-meaning mother who meddles in her daughters’ (Lauren Graham, Piper Perabo and Mandy Moore) love lives — and unexpectedly finds a match of her own.

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Morning Glory (2010)

Keaton and Harrison Ford are spot-on in their portrayals of morning show cohosts Colleen Peck and Mike Pomeroy, whose tenures at DayBreak are shaken up by plucky young producer Becky Fuller (McAdams).

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The Young Pope (2016)

Not only is Keaton a major star on the big screen, but she’s also made a splash on TV. Her turn as Sister Mary in HBO’s The Young Pope was one of the buzziest performances of the year.