Did you know that Al Pacino and Diane Keaton
were crazy in love back in the days? The renowned actress was obsessed with her charismatic
colleague, but that relationship went downhill. Here's a closer look at their love story, including how Keaton's
ultimatum led to their demise. It was a true Hollywood story. Al
Pacino and Diane Keaton met on the set of The Godfather in the 1970s.
At the time, Keaton was in her late twenties, while Pacino was in his early
thirties. Both were relatively unknown. Actors immediately felt onscreen chemistry going
offscreen. In a recent interview, Keaton shared that her attraction towards Pacino was instant
and powerful, “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!” The pair had an on-again, off-again relationship,
with Keaton and Pacino breaking up and finding their way back. Over a span of two decades, Keaton
also dated some of the biggest Hollywood stars, including Warren Beatty and Woody Allen. But
in the late 1980s, she was back with Pacino. A special kind of chemistry brought
together these two Hollywood Goliaths. Both celebrities became an overnight success
after the release of The Godfather in 1972. Both were eager to plunge into
the vibrant world of acting. Young and aspiring, rising Hollywood stars were
ambitious dreamers. Later in life, Keaton would blame them for unrealistic expectations and a
naive attitude towards a romantic relationship. But while they were together, they were
powerful. Keaton even helped Pacino overcome some of his anxieties. Once, he was leaving
their house for the interview. He usually got pretty uncomfortable in situations like that.
Keaton was extremely encouraging and empathetic, trying to make him feel better
about himself. No doubt, she was engulfed in love with Pacino. So,
what could go wrong at the end of the day? Pacino and Keaton ended their romantic
relationship sometime after The Godfather Part III. When he wouldn’t commit
to marriage, Keaton recalled, she gave him an ultimatum, and their
relationship was over. “I worked hard on that one. I went about it in not a
perfect way,” she said in the interview. While filming The Godfather III, the pair shared a
villa in Rome. Al Pacino's friends and associates thought he would finally marry Keaton. However,
that was not meant to be. The situation between them reached a crisis point while they were
in Italy. The main conflict seemed to be that Keaton wanted a long-term commitment, while
Pacino couldn't imagine his life with her. "I wanted more, lots more,' Keaton admitted, "I
wanted him to want me as much as I wanted him. I wanted him to love me." On their trip to Rome, she
told Pacino, "Marry me, or at least commit to the possibility." The actor's response was negative,
but they got together again later. It resulted in a row of breakups. "Poor Al. Poor me — I never
stopped insisting,' she described that time. Once they were back in the U.S., Keaton was hit
with the news of her father being diagnosed with a brain tumor. Five months later, Keaton was sitting
in a therapist's office - Pacino ended things with her for the last time. He walked off without a
backward glance. Although Keaton struggled to make things work for so long, she couldn't come to
terms with the possibility of being away from him. In an interview, Keaton revealed that she was
heartbroken after the couple called it quits. Despite that, she always felt attracted
to Pacino. She shared the details, "Al was simply the most entertaining man
… To me, that's the most beautiful face. I think Warren was gorgeous, very pretty, but
Al's face is like whoa. Killer, killer face." Years after their breakup, Keaton
would consider her attitude towards the situation impractical - she just
had an insane idea of what love means. Today, she believes partners should make a
good team to build a long-lasting romantic relationship. "I told myself I wanted to, but
I didn't really want a man that I could have. I wanted the dream," she revealed the
details of her romance with Pacino. Keaton couldn't find the way to the actor's heart, who was more of a career-oriented person
at that time. It turns out, marriage wasn't a part of the plan for Pacino. So it was
extremely challenging for him to compromise. As Keaton said, "He was even less inclined to be
realistic than me. So that poor guy. I don't think he was really that interested. And I don't think
a long-term happy marriage would be easy for him." Keaton, who’s now 75, has shied away from
romantic relationships in recent decades, sharing in an interview, “Let’s just
get that straight. That one’s important. I haven’t been on a date in, I
would say, 35 years. No dates.” A lack of managerial skills made Keaton go
through lots of unhappy romantic relationships. She recently opened up about her inability to
nurture a romantic connection with somebody. "I needed as much as they needed, and that's
not a good mix. I didn't choose wisely for a long-term partnership where we could weather
experiences together and be there for each other," Keaton reflected. It seems as though she
was searching for flame and passion that could never end in something reliable
she so desperately needed at the time. Interestingly enough, the award-winning academy
actress never married. As the years went by, Keaton reinvented her attitude towards marriage -
she became more focused on her professional life. As someone who often portrays successful,
career-oriented women on film, it seems the actress' life is an
instance of life imitating art, as Keaton once told People
she wasn't built to be a wife. "I think that I'm strange," Keaton said in
a recent interview. Diane believes she's the only actress in her generation who has been
single throughout the entirety of her life. Keaton added she lacks a nurturing
capacity so often needed for the marriage. "I don't think it would have been
a good idea for me to have married, and I'm really glad I didn't," she noted,
"and I'm sure they're happy about it, too." Wait, but what about Al Pacino? Did he
finally find the right person to wed? Even though Al Pacino has been romantically
linked to several women over the years, very little has been made of his love life. But we know for sure that Pacino remained one
of the Hollywood most wanted bachelors. Aside from Keaton, Pacino has dated Beverly
D'Angelo. Best known for her role in the Vacation film franchise, she had been in a
relationship with Pacino for seven years. While the couple never got married, they
were committed. Beverly even underwent in vitro fertilization and gave birth to Al's
twins. Pacino was also linked to Lucila Polak (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjiV_C7UQOo
- 0.54), his girlfriend of ten years, before they split up in 2018. Based on the stories that Diane Keaton has shared
about her off-and-on relationship with Al Pacino, it seems as if he has an aversion to getting
married. That said, in the years since Pacino rose to fame, he has been romantically linked
to lots of different women, but none of these relationships were about marriage.
Meanwhile, Keaton became a single mom to two kids in her 50s – she decided it
was time for a different kind of love story. She said that becoming a mother helped
her become a better person. “It made me realize that I was completely
self-involved. I’m an actress, after all. I didn’t have anyone to tell me how
well I was doing, or if I was doing it right.” Some might think it’s unusual that Keaton became
a mom in her 50s, but it was a change for the better. Keaton made it clear that children
are the most important people in her life.” The loves of my life are my children and
my mother. I don’t feel as if I need a man. Don’t get me wrong, I love men … but I have
kids and my work. That’s fine with me.” Both Keaton and Pacino never settled down, but
they cherished their long-lasting friendship more than anything. When Keaton received
an AFI Lifetime Achievement award in 2017, Pacino paid an emotional tribute to the Annie
Hall actress. At the ceremony, he called her “Di” and cheerfully recalled how she used to make
him laugh before one of his numerous interviews. And if that wasn’t moving enough for you –
he then closed the speech by telling her, “I love you forever.”
In her memoir, Keaton wrote, "For me, the Godfathers, all three of them, were
about one thing — Al. It was as simple as that." The relationship between Keaton and Pacino
was based on a shared experience of the acting world and a respect for each other's
craft. It seemed supportive and healthy. Although they couldn't go the distance with
their romance, both built illustrious careers. In retrospect, it seems that avoiding
marriage was the right choice for the couple. Keaton plunged into her family life,
raising kids and working hard. Pacino kept up with the Hollywood career and became
a father himself. But even today, they continue to cherish that affection for one other.
Dreams about getting married never came true, but maybe that's because they're
way better off as great friends? Could it be a better scenario than a
messy and painful romantic relationship? Let us know what you think about this love
story, and stay tuned to discover more!
