by Woody Allen has paid an emotional tribute to his former partner Diane Keaton, who passed away over the weekend at the age of 79, calling her “so charming, so beautiful, so magical”.
The director penned an essay published in The Free Press on October 13th, following the news of Keaton’s passing on October 11th, in which he wrote: “Unlike anyone the planet has experienced or is unlikely to ever see again, her face and laugh illuminated any space she entered.”
Allen, who directed and starred opposite Keaton in many of her seminal roles, including Annie Hall, recalled meeting her for the first time at an audition in 1969 for his play, Play It Again, Sam. “If Huckleberry Finn was a gorgeous young woman, he’d be Keaton,” he remembered of his first impression of her.
Explaining how they were both initially shy around each other, nevertheless, there was an instant spark between the pair. “She was so charming, so beautiful, so magical, that I questioned my sanity. I thought: ‘Could I be in love so quickly?’” Allen continued in his essay.
Moving forward to reflect on how their relationship developed over time, both romantically and professionally, the filmmaker added: “As time went on I made movies for an audience of one, Diane Keaton. I never read a single review of my work and cared only what Keaton had to say about it.”
Regaling many stories from throughout the course of their lives together, Allen was keen to stress Keaton’s many talents before he admitted: “We had a few great personal years together and finally we both moved on, and why we parted only God and Freud might be able to figure out.”
Bringing his lengthy and poignant tribute to a close, the actor and director mused: “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.”
Despite the ending of their relationship many decades ago, Keaton remained a close supporter of Allen despite his controversies, coming to his defence in 2017 in light of the #MeToo movement. Historic accusations of child sexual abuse, which Allen has always denied, had once again resurfaced, prompting Keaton to state: “Woody Allen is my friend and I continue to believe him.”
