Diane Keaton Is Turning 77, So We Discovered 7 Facts We Didn’t Know About Her

Diane Keaton is an actress and director who has been in the entertainment industry for over 6 decades. With over 75 film credits to her name, Keaton is best known for her roles in films like Annie Hall, The Godfather, and Something’s Gotta Give. In honor of her 77th birthday, we decided to uncover some interesting facts we found out about her private life and career.

She’s a skin cancer survivor.

Keaton was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma at age 21 and not long ago, she had her second squamous cell cancer removed from the area surrounding her left ear. Sadly, skin cancer runs in her family and her aunt, father, and brother also had it. That’s why she can never be found without sunscreen in her pocket, and she makes sure she applies it daily. Her hats, which are part of her unique style, also help her protect her face from the sun.

“Back in my 20s, I didn’t pay attention much,” Keaton revealed about taking care of her skin. “I didn’t research and didn’t really care, and that was stupid because it’s dogged me my entire adult life, even recently. I didn’t start sun care until my 40s.”

She was born as Diane Hall, not Diane Keaton.

Diane changed her name to Keaton (her mother’s maiden name) when she found out that there was already an actress registered under the name of Diane Hall when she joined the Actors’ Equity Association.

That’s why the movie, that is loosely based on the real-life romance that occurred between Woody Allen and Diane Keaton, is called Annie Hall. Annie was her nickname when she was younger, and Hall is her real surname.

Keaton has suffered from asthma and other breathing related problems since she was a young girl.

People with asthma can lead full, joyful lives today, but back in the 1950s, when treatment options were limited, it was a bit harder to handle the condition. Diane still remembers when she experienced a life-threatening bout with whooping cough when she was in 4th grade, and how her father had to hold her upside down, so she could catch a breath.

“I thought I was dying. I couldn’t breathe. Asthma was bad enough, but this whooping cough thing was way worse,” she wrote. “When dad turned me upside down, I got my breath back almost instantaneously. It was like a miracle. Mom was worried, she kept me out of school for 2 months,” revealed Keaton.

Diane Keaton’s iconic, eccentric style still influences fashion trends today.

Diane became a fashion icon after playing the role of the menswear-clad Annie Hall in the 1977 movie of the same name. She embodied what a fashionable New York woman should wear and since then Keaton developed a timeless, unique style filled with tailored pieces, skirts and dresses, wide belts, layers, hats, wide-legged trousers, and neutral tones.

In a way, Keaton’s distinguishing look represents freedom. She is sometimes referred to as the “fairy godmother of fearless style” as she plays with bold appearances that are only motivated by her personal preferences and have nothing to do with what other people may think.

She became a single mom at 50.

Diane’s maternal instinct kicked in later in life. In 1996, at age 50, she adopted her daughter Dexter, and 5 years later, in 2001, she adopted her son Duke. In an interview, she said that motherhood is the most humbling experience she’s ever had, and it made her a better person.

However, even though she was happily single back when she adopted her children, she revealed that it would’ve been better if she had someone by her side. “As a parent, I provide all I can, but I think in the best possible scenario, you need to have a man,” Keaton said, opening up.

She said no to plastic surgery.

Although Diane has not had any plastic surgery so far, she has not ruled out the possibility of doing so in the future, because in the past she said she would never do a lot of things, like going to a psychiatrist, but she did it anyway and was glad she took the leap afterward.

However, she’s still not fond of plastic surgery. “My feeling is that everybody has their hands and their hands are always around their face, so if the hands don’t match the face, it’s a little weird. My hands are the hands of the age I am. They’ve been through a lot, and they look like it!” she revealed.

She is a vegetarian.

Keaton has been a vegetarian for 27 years now. She doesn’t eat meat, and she even stopped eating fish 7 years ago.

“I don’t want to eat something that was an animal. It’s nuts. I think I eat pretty well. I want to stay healthy, I want to stay active, I want to work,” she revealed.

Do you know other lesser-known facts about Diane? Which of her movies is your favorite?