Woody Allen said goodbye to Diane Keaton: “Her face and her laugh illuminated any space”

“Unlike anyone else the planet has ever experienced or will likely never see again, His face and laugh lit up any space he entered.”Allen wrote in the article.

The director recalled their first meeting at an audition for his 1969 play “Play It Again, Sam” at the Morosco Theater. Keaton, a newcomer from Orange County who was working as a wardrobe girl while acting in “Hair,” had been recommended by acting coach Sandy Meisner.

“If Huckleberry Finn were a beautiful young woman, she would be Keaton,” Allen recalled thinking when he first saw her.

At first, the couple had a hard time connecting during the first week of rehearsals. “She was shy, I was shy, and with two shy people, things can get pretty boring,” Allen wrote. But after sharing a quick meal during a break, everything changed. “She was so charming, so beautiful, so magical, that I questioned my sanity. I thought: Could I fall in love so quickly?”.

By the time the exhibition premiered in Washington, DC, they had already begun a romantic relationship. Keaton turned out to be Allen’s most trusted creative collaborator, offering him commentary on his films that he valued above all else.

“Over time, I made films for one audience, Diane Keaton.”Allen revealed. “I never read a single review of my work and only cared about what Keaton said about it.”

Allen praised Keaton’s multifaceted talent beyond acting, highlighting her work as a writer, photographer, collage artist, interior decorator and director. He also admired his unwavering aesthetic judgment, recalling how he did not hesitate to criticize even Shakespeare if he felt that the Bard had made a mistake.

The essay included colorful anecdotes from their time together, including a memorable Thanksgiving at Keaton’s home in Orange County, where Allen played poker with his family and “won about 80 cents.”

“This beautiful country girl became an award-winning actress and a sophisticated fashion icon,” Allen wrote. “We had a few very good years together and eventually we both moved on, and only God and Freud could understand why we broke up.”

Allen concluded with a moving reflection on Keaton’s legacy: “A few days ago, the world was a place that included Diane Keaton. Now it is a world that does not include her. Therefore, it is a more depressing world. Still, there are his films. And his great laugh still echoes in my head.

The relationship between Diane Keaton and Woody Allen

Keaton starred in eight of Allen’s 50 films, including “Annie Hall”, “Manhattan” and “Radio Days”.

Allen has remained a controversial figure in Hollywood after his relationship with Soon-Yi Previnadopted daughter of her ex-partner Mia Farrow. Allen and Previn, who have been married for more than two decades, began their relationship while Allen was still dating Farrow. During the subsequent custody battle, Farrow alleged that Allen behaved inappropriately toward her daughter. Dylan Farrow. Allen has consistently denied the allegations.

The accusations resurfaced amid the #MeToo movement, prompting Keaton to publicly defend his longtime collaborator on social media. “Woody Allen is my friend and I still believe him,” Keaton wrote at the time. “You might be interested in watching the ’60 Minutes’ interview from 1992 and seeing what you think.”

In 2017, Allen presented Keaton with the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award. “From the moment I met her, she was a great inspiration to me”Allen said during the ceremony. “Much of what I have achieved in my life I owe, without a doubt, to her. Seeing life through her eyes. She is truly amazing. She is a woman who is excellent at everything she does.”