The American Film Institute (AFI) Board of Trustees has announced that actress Diane Keaton will be the recipient of the 45th AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor for a career in film. The award will be presented to Keaton at a Gala Tribute on June 8, 2017, in Los Angeles. The AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute special will return for its fifth year with Turner Broadcasting to air on TNT, followed by encore presentations on sister network Turner Classic Movies (TCM).
“Diane Keaton is one of the most beloved leading ladies of American film,” said Sir Howard Stringer, chair, AFI Board of Trustees. “Peerless in her mastery of both comedy and drama, she has won the world’s heart time and again by creating characters of both great strength and vulnerability. Her career as a director and producer is even further evidence of her passion for the art form and her seemingly boundless talents. AFI is proud to present her with its 45th Life Achievement Award.”
Diane Keaton — multifaceted actor, director, producer, author, real estate developer and photographer — can boast more than 60 diverse credits across five decades. Her iconic roles span the cinematic spectrum, from long-suffering mob wife Kay Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972) to the “la-di-da” heroine of Woody Allen’s Annie Hall (1977) — a role which earned her an Academy Award® for Best Actress and turned her into a national fashion icon. Perhaps best known for her long comedic collaboration with Allen — including Play It Again, Sam (1972), Sleeper (1973), Love And Death (1975) and Manhattan (1979) — she has proved herself equally adept at dramatic roles, with powerhouse performances in films such as Looking For Mr. Goodbar (1977), Reds (1981), The Little Drummer Girl (1984) and Marvin’s Room (1996). During the 1980s, Keaton turned to directing — from feature narratives and documentaries to music videos and television. A perennial box office favorite, she’s maintained her popular profile with films including Baby Boom (1987), Father of the Bride (1991) and Father of the Bride II (1995), The First Wives Club (1996), Something’s Gotta Give (2003), Morning Glory (2010), The Big Wedding (2013), And So It Goes (2014) and Pixar’s Finding Dory (2016). She will continue to grace the screen with her unique presence in the upcoming HBO miniseries The Young Pope.
