In the wake of her tragic death, Diane Keaton leaves behind an almost untouchable legacy of work that spans across her comedic work, her dramatic roles, and her effusive charisma. Classics like Annie Hall, Something's Gotta Give, Father of the Bride, The First Wives Club, Reds, and many more films make up just a small chunk of her incredible filmography. But it all began with her breakthrough role in 1972, starring as Kay Adams in The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola's epic gangster franchise that is now considered one of the greatest in film history.
Not only did the film, and its subsequent two sequels, establish her as a Hollywood mainstay, a reputation that solidified following her partnership with Woody Allen, but it also introduced her to onscreen husband and lead Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino. In 1971, soon after filming on The Godfather wrapped, they entered into a relationship.
The exact timeline on their romance is unclear, with the two famously making for one of the quietest couples in Hollywood. Their affair roughly began in 1971 and lasted all the way up until 1987, intermittently ending over each of them beginning other relationships, most notably between 1978 and 1981, when Diane dated her Reds co-star Warren Beatty. Since then, neither ever tied the knot, although both did become parents.
By 1990, when The Godfather III was released, they had long since ended things. But it seemed like feelings between the pair continued to linger, with a report from the Daily Mail published after Diane's death claiming that a friend of the actor's reportedly stated he will "forever regret" not pursuing things further with her, calling her an "amazing woman."
The pair were extremely private during the actual tenure of their relationship, rarely being photographed together. And apparently, they ceased communication after ending things, despite living minutes away from each other in Beverly Hills. Still, they thought of each other fondly, reflecting on their romance in recent years.
© Getty ImagesIn 2017, Al, now 85, made an appearance at a ceremony honoring Diane with the American Film Institute's 45th Lifetime Achievement Award, gushing: "You're a great artist. I love you forever," and Diane told People she first had "a crush" on him while making The Godfather. "I was mad for him. Charming, hilarious, a nonstop talker."
© Getty Images"There was an aspect of him that was like a lost orphan, like this kind of crazy idiot savant. And oh, gorgeous!" she notes of her feelings about him once they actually started dating. She wanted to get married, and even gave an ultimatum, but it unfortunately didn't work out. "I worked hard on that one. I went about it in not a perfect way."
© Getty ImagesIn her 2011 memoir Then Again, she said of first meeting him in 1971: "I don't remember talking about the script. I remember his killer Roman nose sitting in the middle of what remains a remarkable face. It was too bad he wasn't available, and neither was I. Even so, for the next twenty years Al Pacino would be my only recurring 'unattainable great.'"
© Getty ImagesThe Serpico actor himself admitted as much in his own 2024 memoir Sonny Boy, admitting that he usually felt intimidated around women. "But with Diane this time things were different. We always had a connection. She understood my read on things, and it felt comforting to have someone who got me. So I went after her. We hung out together, and after a couple of months we decided to get together. We found a tempo and a temperature that was right."
