The world is still whirling from the unexpected loss of cinematic icon Diane Keaton. The Oscar-winning actress passed away last week at 79, leaving behind one of the most distinctive and influential legacies in Hollywood history. Friends, collaborators, and fans have been flooding social media with memories and tributes, and one of the most heartfelt came from writer-director Nancy Meyers, who worked with the Family Stone actress multiple times and called her “a giant” in a moving remembrance.
On Instagram, Meyers shared a touching and funny reflection on what it was really like to work alongside the Annie Hall and Something’s Gotta Give star, pulling back the curtain on Keaton’s unique creative process and one delightfully quirky habit before filming. The screenwriter wrote:
She made everything better. Every set up, every day, in every movie, I watched her give it her all. When I needed her to cry in scene after scene in Something’s Gotta Give she went at it hard and then somehow made it funny. And I remember she would sometimes spin in a kind of goofy circle before a take to purposely get herself off balance or whatever she needed to shed so she could be in the moment.
It’s a small detail that feels somehow perfectly Diane Keaton, since she was known for her eccentric and totally original style. It's pretty clear she was an actress who approached every scene with full-hearted commitment and a sense of play, even in the middle of deeply emotional moments.
The two first collaborated on the 1987 comedy Baby Boom, where Keaton’s sharp comedic instincts and natural warmth helped redefine what a working mother looked like on screen. They reunited again on the remake of Father of the Bride (one of her and Steve Martin’s best movies) and its sequel, and on 2003’s Something’s Gotta Give, a film that not only scored the actress an Oscar nomination but also gave her one of her most beloved late-career performances. The Parent Trap scribe went on to write:
She was fearless, she was like nobody ever, she was born to be a movie star, her laugh could make your day and for me, knowing her and working with her - changed my life. Thank you Di. I’ll miss you forever.
Few filmmakers ever understood The First Wives Club star’s rhythm, and that movie alone gave us a trove of offbeat, iconic quotes and moments, quite like Nancy Meyers did. She captured the perfect balance of Diane Keaton’s neurotic charm and unfiltered honesty, the qualities that made audiences feel they truly knew her. Together, they delivered some of the best romantic comedies of the past few decades, blending the Book Club performer’s emotional vulnerability with The Holiday writer’s razor-sharp wit. In her post, the Private Benjamin screenwriter also acknowledged the outpouring of love and grief being shared across Hollywood and beyond, continuing:
These past 48 hours have not been easy. Seeing all of your tributes to Diane has been a comfort. As a movie lover, I’m with you all - we have lost a giant.
It’s hard to argue with that. From her roles in some of the best films of the ‘70s, like The Godfather, to Annie Hall, to Something’s Gotta Give, Diane Keaton redefined what it meant to be a leading lady. Her mix of humor and unshakable individuality made her one of the greats, and for those lucky enough to work with her, like Nancy Meyers, it’s clear that loss runs deep.
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