Diane Keaton’s Book Club co-star Ed Begley Jr. shared his heartfelt thoughts with Us Weekly regarding her shocking passing at the age of 79.
“I need to keep my emotions in check,” a visibly moved Begley, 76, told Us during the Environmental Media Association (EMA) Awards held on Saturday, October 11. “Diane and I were very close. I had so much love for her.”
The duo first collaborated in the 1992 TV film Running Mates, and they reunited in the successful 2018 romantic comedy Book Club, which grossed over $100 million at the box office.
With composure, Begley reflected on Keaton, describing her as “like a sister” and “a beloved friend” at the awards ceremony in Studio City, California.
He further expressed, “It really hit me hard when I learned of her death. She will always be here with us in spirit.”
The other three stars of Book Club — Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen — also paid tribute to their beloved friend shortly after news of her passing was announced.
“It’s difficult to comprehend…or accept…that Diane is no longer with us,” Fonda, 87, shared on Instagram. “She was a constant source of vitality and joy, always chuckling about her own quirks while being incredibly creative in her performances, fashion choices, writings, friendships, her home, and her unique outlook on life. She was one of a kind and, though she often wouldn’t recognize it, she was an exceptional actress!”
Bergen, 79, remarked in her statement to People, “This is a monumental loss, both for me personally and for us all. Diane was a true artist — remarkably talented and gifted across so many fields, yet she remained humble and wonderfully eccentric. I will miss her deeply.”
Mary Steenburgen, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Diane Keaton in May 2018. Leon Bennett/Getty Images
“There has never been, and there will never be, another like her,” Steenburgen stated on Saturday. “I cherished her and felt fortunate to have her as my friend. My thoughts are with her family. She was a true gem!”
The four leading ladies portrayed lifelong friends in Book Club who aimed to rejuvenate their romantic lives after delving into the erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey. The comedy also featured notable actors like Craig T. Nelson, Andy García, and Don Johnson.
Details regarding Keaton’s death remain limited, as her representatives have not shared additional information. Her family, including her two children, daughter Dexter and son Duke, have requested privacy during this difficult time.
A close friend of Keaton informed People on Saturday that the health of the Father of the Bride actress experienced a significant decline in the final months of her life. Once a familiar sight in her Brentwood, California neighborhood walking her dog Reggie, Keaton reportedly withdrew from public view in recent times to spend her last days with her closest family members.
Keaton made her last on-screen appearance in the 2024 comedy Summer Camp, where she starred alongside Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, and Eugene Levy. This role concluded a remarkable nearly six-decade career in Hollywood, highlighted by her Academy Award for Best Actress in 1977 for Annie Hall and receiving the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award among numerous accolades.
