Tributes pour in for US actress Diane Keaton

Goldie Hawn, Steve Martin, Jane Fonda and Ben Stiller have led tributes to Hollywood legend Diane Keaton, following her death aged 79.

Keaton, who appeared in more than 60 films, including The Godfather trilogy, The First Wives Club and eight films with Allen, stood out in Hollywood with her trademark style.

She earned Oscar nominations for best actress for her portrayal of US journalist Louise Bryant in the 1981 political drama Reds, as a caring aunt to Leonardo DiCaprio in the 1996 family saga Marvin's Room and opposite Jack Nicholson in the 2003 romantic comedy Something's Gotta Give.

In a post on social media, Hawn wrote: “You’ve left us with a trail of fairy dust, filled with particles of light and memories beyond imagination...

“You stole the hearts of the world and shared your genius with millions, making films that made us laugh and cry in ways only you could.”

Rizzoli, a publishing company that released several of Keaton's books, confirmed her death in a statement, calling her an "icon whose influence spanned film, fashion, and design".

Fonda described her in a post on instagram as "a spark of life and light" while Stiller called her "one of the greatest film actors ever".

Father Of The Bride’s Steve Martin summed up their "delightful relationship" with a sweet post referencing their on-screen banter.

'LA-DEE-DA, LA-DEE-DA, LA-LA'

Keaton was born Diane Hall in Los Angeles on January 5, 1946. The oldest of four children, she adopted her mother's maiden name to avoid confusion with another actress with the same moniker. After briefly attending college in California, Keaton moved to New York to study at the Neighborhood Playhouse. She landed a role in the original Broadway rock musical Hair in 1968. 

But it was an audition with Allen for the stage production of Play It Again, Sam that changed her life. "Nothing would have happened without Woody Allen. If I hadn't been cast in that play ..." Keaton said in an interview with Vanity Fair in 2011.

Keaton won a Tony nomination for the role that sparked their romance as well as a life-long friendship and a collaboration that included many of Allen's best films such as Sleeper, Love and Death and Manhattan.

In Annie Hall, she immortalised the phrase "la-dee-da, la-dee-da, la-la," which was characteristic of her flighty, fluttered style.

Keaton was also a director, writer, producer, and photographer and had a passion for restoring California mansions. She detailed her life in two memoirs, Then Again in 2011, in which she revealed she had suffered from the eating disorder bulimia in her 20s, and Let's Just Say it Wasn't Pretty in 2014.