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Al Pacino has paid tribute to the his co-star and ex-romantic partner Diane Keaton who died last week.<\/p>\n
The 85-year-old actor had been filming in Paris and reportedly needed some time to put together his thoughts and feelings on Keaton, who died of pneumonia on Saturday at the age of 79.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I first heard the news, I was shaken,\u201d Pacino said to Deadline. \u201cDiane was my partner, my friend, someone who brought me happiness and, on more than one occasion influenced the direction of my life. Though over thirty years has past since we were together, the memories remain vivid, and with her passing, they have returned with a force that is both painful and moving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pacino and Keaton starred together in The Godfather in 1972 and the pair had an on-and-off romantic relationship into the 1980s. Keaton once called him \u201cthe most entertaining man\u201d who had \u201cthe most beautiful face\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe lived without limits, and everything she touched carried her unmistakable energy,\u201d Pacino said. \u201cShe opened doors for others, inspired generations, and embodied a once-in-a-lifetime gift that radiated through her work and her life. On screen, she was magnetic \u2013 lightning and charm, hurricanes and tenderness. She was a wonder. Acting was her art, but it was only one of the many ways she expressed her imagination and creativity.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that she was \u201cunstoppable, resilient, and above all, deeply human\u201d.<\/p>\n
Keaton told People in 2017 that she had a crush on Pacino when they started working together. \u201cI was mad for him,\u201d she said. \u201cCharming, hilarious, a nonstop talker. There was an aspect of him that was like a lost orphan, like this kind of crazy idiot savant. And oh, gorgeous!\u201d<\/p>\n
She said she \u201cworked hard\u201d on the relationship but when he wouldn\u2019t commit to marriage, she gave him an ultimatum and it ended. \u201cI went about it in not a perfect way,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Pacino is one of many Hollywood names to have paid tribute to Keaton. Michael Douglas called her \u201cone of the greatest icons in our industry\u201d while Francis Ford Coppola called her \u201ccreativity personified\u201d.<\/p>\n
Nancy Meyers, who directed Keaton in Something\u2019s Gotta Give, also remembered a \u201cgiant\u201d in an Instagram post. \u201cA brilliant actress who time and again laid herself bare to tell our stories,\u201d she wrote. \u201cAs a woman, I lost a friend of almost 40 years \u2013 at times over those years, she felt like a sister because we shared so many truly memorable experiences. As a film-maker, I\u2019ve lost a connection with an actress that one can only dream of.\u201d<\/p>\n