We have witnessed a lot of A-listers fall in love with each other after appearing to portray the role of a couple on screen. However, many of those love stories usually do not have a happy ending as the couple split up due to differences in opinions.
Just like their on-screen romance of Michael Corleone, and Kay Adams, Al Pacino, and Diane Keaton’s relationship also reached a fateful end after the end of The Godfather trilogy.
Diane Keaton opens up about her relationship with Al Pacino
Al Pacino will certainly go down in history as one of the greatest actors of all time in the industry. The legendary actor has won many accolades throughout his career spanning over five decades including a Triple Crown of Acting by winning an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Although Al Pacino has dated his fair share of women including some big Hollywood stars, the Serpico actor has never been married even once. Pacino actively avoids being married as he previously stated that he thinks marriage is just a state of mind and not a contract.
Diane Keaton and Al Pacino first portrayed the role of an on-screen couple on the set of The Godfather. That was also when the duo met for the first time. Keaton once opened up in an interview with People and talked about how she was ‘mad‘ for him while they were in a relationship together. She said,
“I was mad for him. Charming, 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!”
However, after being in an on-and-off relationship for years, Keaton gave Pacino a marriage ultimatum to either marry her or break up with her after the end of The Godfather trilogy and unfortunately, Pacino chose the latter.
Keaton once opened up about her marriage ultimatum that she gave to Pacino in an interview with People, and said, “I worked hard on that one. I went about it in not a perfect way.”
However, Al Pacino was not ready to marry her and therefore chose to end their relationship.
Al Pacino praises Diane Keaton for being a great friend
Although their relationship came to an end in the early 90s, Al Pacino and Diane Keaton continued to be friends off the screen and have always spoken well of each other in public. For Keaton, The Godfather movies were just about Pacino as she once revealed in her memoir Then Again by writing, “For me the Godfathers, all three of them, were about one thing — Al. It was as simple as that.”
When Diane Keaton was awarded the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award back in 2017, Pacino narrated an incident between the 2 stars that warmed everyone’s hearts. He said,
“I remember leaving the house once, and I had an interview. And I’m very uncomfortable here, but at interviews, I’m even more uncomfortable, believe it or not. And she was very encouraging, helping me along, and as I was leaving, she called out to me, and said, ‘Al, you’re going to be OK. Just remember, whatever you do, don’t say you’re an artist.’
I really appreciate it, it was good advice Di, but I have to say now, dare I say it, forgive me, you’re an artist Di, you’re a great artist. I remember it, I love it, and I love you forever.”
Although their relationship did not have a happy ending both on and off the screen, at least they are good friends in the real world. Just like Pacino, Diane Keaton also never married anyone throughout her life. The Annie Hall actress later went on to adopt 2 sons, Dexter and Duke at the age of 50.
The Godfather is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
