‘The thing I just loved about her is she was such an original,’ Reese Witherspoon says of Diane Keaton, who died Oct. 11.
Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton dead at age 79
Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton, star of “Annie Hall” and “The Godfather,” has died at 79, according to People and The New York Times.
LOS ANGELES − Hours after Diane Keaton’s death was revealed, Reese Witherspoon paid tribute to “one of my first mentors.”
In front of hundreds of attendees at her Hello Sunshine Shine Away conference, the “Morning Show” actress took a few minutes to honor Keaton’s legacy on Oct. 11. “I’m going to try to get through this without tearing, but I don’t know if you guys heard that Diane Keaton passed today,” Witherspoon said onstage.
“She was really important,” she said, holding back tears. “She was one of my first mentors in this business.”
Keaton, an Oscar-winning actress beloved for her roles in “Annie Hall,” the “Godfather” films and more recently the “Book Club” franchise, died at 79, according to People and The New York Times.
Witherspoon recalled meeting Keaton when she was 15 and just starting her acting career. Keaton cast Witherspoon in 1991’s “Wildflower,” which she directed.
“I came in with this big country accent and I was playing this little Southern girl, and she goes, ‘Who are you?’ And I said, ‘I’m Reese Witherspoon and I’m from Nashville, Tennessee,’ and she said, ‘Are you making that up? That accent you’re doing?’ ” Witherspoon fondly remembered, using the same thick accent in retelling the anecdote. “And I said, ‘No, ma’am … I’d love to be in your movie.’ “
The “Legally Blonde” star said Keaton told her, “Well, you’re hired. You’re hired today, tomorrow and the next day. I don’t know who you are, but I’m so excited to have you.”
Witherspoon said filming “Wildflower,” starring alongside Patricia Arquette, was “one of the most important summers of my childhood,” explaining how Keaton guided and mentored her throughout the process.
Keaton broke through in Hollywood during the 1970s with her role as Kay Adams-Corleone in “The Godfather” franchise, playing girlfriend and later wife to Al Pacino’s gangster Michael Corleone.
Her prestigious career also included roles in “The First Wives Club,” “Manhattan” and “Annie Hall,” which landed her a best actress Oscar in 1978. She became known for her blend of emotion and eccentric likability in comedies such as “Baby Boom” in the 1980s, “Father of the Bride” in the 1990s and “Something’s Gotta Give” in the 2000s.
“But the thing I just loved about her is she was such an original,” Witherspoon added. “If you just close your mind and think of Diane Keaton … she is just incredible and indelible.”
Witherspoon concluded her tribute on a celebratory note.
“So, for Diane, watch one of her movies and wear a really cool, interesting outfit, black and white, take a cool picture, and just live your dream,” she said. “Just be your unique and interesting self. I think Diane would be really happy.”
Contributing: Brian Truitt
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