Diane Keaton, the Oscar-winning actress, passed away Saturday at the age of 79. Her death comes after a period of sudden decline, according to a friend. The cause of her death has not yet been disclosed.
In her final months, Keaton was reportedly surrounded by her immediate family, who chose to maintain privacy. Even close friends were largely unaware of the extent of her condition.
However, friends are recalling some of her recent public appearances. Her longtime friend and Book Club co-star, Ed Begley Jr., recently saw Keaton at Jack Nicholson’s birthday celebration.
"I saw her recently at Jack Nicholson’s birthday party, and it was a pleasure to see her there," Begley Jr., 76, told People on Saturday, October 11. "She loved Jack Nicholson, as do I, and Jack loved her. So I don’t want to speak for him. I’m sure he’s as devastated as I am by her loss." Nicholson turned 88 on April 22.
Keaton and Nicholson famously co-starred in Nancy Meyers’ 2003 romantic comedy Something’s Gotta Give. The film also featured Keanu Reeves, Amanda Peet, Frances McDormand, Jon Favreau, Paul Michael Glaser, Rachel Ticotin, KaDee Strickland, and Peter Spears. Keaton received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in 2004.
Meyers previously recounted a memorable moment on set where Nicholson’s reaction to Keaton’s character confessing her love was so genuine, he momentarily forgot it was a script. "I said, ‘What’s wrong?’ And he says, ‘Diane just told me she loves me.’ He couldn’t tell if he was horrified or delighted," Meyers told Vulture in April 2018. "So I said, ‘Yeah, I know, I wrote that line. It’s in the script, Jack.’ And he said, ‘Oh, OK.’ He thought she meant it. It’s so funny. That’s her."
Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson Michael Caulfield/WireImage
Keaton herself cherished her work with Nicholson. In her 2011 memoir, Then Again, she cited Something’s Gotta Give as her "favorite film." She once told the BBC that the movie represented "the best of all possible worlds" for her. She stated, "Not only do I get to kiss Keanu Reeves and have a great romance with him, but I also get the same experience with Jack! He’s the original bad boy, so that’s as exciting as it gets."
Tributes have continued to pour in following the news of her passing. Nancy Meyers posted an emotional homage via Instagram on Monday, October 13. "These last 48 hours haven’t been easy," Meyers wrote. "To see all the tributes to Diane has been a comfort. As a film lover, I’m with all of you — we have lost a giant. A brilliant actress who time and again put herself out there to tell our stories."
Meyers also reflected on their personal connection. "As a woman, I lost a friend of almost 40 years; sometimes, during those years, I felt her like a sister because we shared so many truly memorable experiences." She added, "As a filmmaker, I have lost a connection with an actress one can only dream of. We all look for that person who truly gets us, right? Well, with Diane, I think we had that mutually."
Ed Begley Jr. separately spoke to Us Weekly about his "close" friendship with Keaton, describing her as "like a sister" to him. "I was very shocked to learn of her passing," he shared. "She stays with us [in spirit]. She’s not going anywhere."