Who were Diane Keaton’s parents? Annie Hal star called mother Dorothy Hall “the love of my life”

Diane Keaton died at the age of 79 on October 11, 2025. She was best known for her roles in Annie Hall, The Godfather trilogy, Father of the Bride, and Unstrung Heroes, among other films.

She was born on January 5, 1946, in Los Angeles, California, to her father, Jack Newton Hall, and mother, Dorothy Keaton Hall. Jack was a civil engineer and real estate broker. Her mother was a housemaker and amateur photographer.

The Oscar-winning actress never married despite being in relationships with high-profile celebrities such as Woody Allen, Al Pacino and Warren Beatty. She adopted a son, Duke and a daughter, Dexter, in her 50s.

Diane Keaton was raised as the eldest child in her family. Her other siblings were her brother, named Randy, and her sisters Robin and Dorrie. She called her mother, “the love of my life hands down”, who was a passionate cataloguer of photographs, journals and letters.

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All we know about Diane Keaton’s family

Diane Keaton grew up in a loving family where her parents supported her in pursuing her career.

She was born as Diane Hall to her parents, Jack Newton Hall and Dorothy Keaton Hall. She studied Drama at Santa Ana College. Later, she dropped out to continue studying theatre Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre, according to her IMDb profile. Before travelling to New York for her further studies, Diane adopted her mother’s maiden name, “Keaton.”

In an interview with NPR in 2004, Diane Keaton shared that when she was eight or nine years old, she saw her mother being crowned as “Mrs Los Angeles.” She recalled that it inspired her to go on stage and pursue her creative ambitions. Her mother passed away in 2008 after her battle with Alzheimer's disease.

According to a report in LA List, Keaton shared that she came across her mother’s unfinished memoir and discovered her ambition for photography. She told the outlet:

“It really made the depths of my love for her all the more powerful. But the disappointment was that I didn't express that. I wasn't really able to put my hands on her face and tell her while she was still very much present, how much I loved her.”

Diane Keaton released two memoirs, the first one was titled Then Again ,which she published in 2011, and the second one, titled Brother & Sister, came out in 2020. According to a report in The Conversation, Keaton began her career as a teenager when she acted in Santa Ana High School’s production of A Streetcar Named Desire.

In Then Again, Keaton remembers her father coming backstage, who was surprised by his daughter’s performance. She said:

“I could tell he was surprised by his awkward daughter – the one who’d flunked algebra and smashed the new Ford station wagon. For one thrilling moment, I was his Seabiscuit, Audrey Hepburn, and Wonder Woman rolled into one.”

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Her father died in September 1990. As a civil engineer, he founded Hall and Foreman Inc. in Costa Mesa, California. He was also the vision behind the University Park, Turtle Rock and University Hills, according to a report in the LA Times.

He also had an unusual flair for dressing, as he inspired his daughter’s wardrobe in Annie Hall.

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