The Godfather‘s Diane Keaton, a verified Hollywood legend, auditioned for her role in the film before reading a script and reveals she was “terrified,” by the movie.
Diana Keaton joined the cast of The Godfather, arguably the best movie of all time, in 1972 as the character Kay Adams-Corleone. As the second wife of Michael Corleone, she has a major role to play in the classic drama movie with a role in every instalment of the trilogy.
Keaton joined The Godfather cast a relatively unknown actor, but the role propelled her to international recognition. However, it turns out that when she auditioned for the movie she hadn’t even read the script first.
Speaking with THR, Keaton reflected on how she landed her part, and what it meant to her. “I was terrified [to join The Godfather cast]. I didn’t understand why me. I mean, I went up to the audition. I didn’t even really — I hadn’t read it,” she recalled.
“See, this is bad! But I needed a job, so I got up there. I’d been auditioning around for about a year, and then this happened like that. And I kept thinking, “Why me? Why would he cast me?” I didn’t understand it. I still don’t, really.”
Of course, Keaton ended up being pitch-perfect in the movie, alongside the rest of the cast. After appearing in The Godfather, Keaton would go on to make a name for herself in some of the best comedy movies ever made, admitting in the same interview that, “I’m supposed to be more of a comedy-type person.” These include Annie Hall and Something’s Gotta Give with Jack Nicholson.
But then again, it’s often said that actors who can do comedy are those who are most capable at drama, too.
For more on classic movies, read our Aliens review in celebration of the recent Alien day. You can also check out our guide to all the new movies coming out in 2023 and the best Robert De Niro movies.