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Diane Keaton died<\/a> on Oct. 11 at the age of 79, and one of her mentees, Reese Witherspoon, paid an emotional tribute to her while holding back tears.<\/p>\n Witherspoon was speaking at a Hello Sunshine<\/a>: Shine Away event in Los Angeles over the weekend when she informed the crowd of Keaton\u2019s death. Fighting back tears, she delivered a heartfelt, off-the-cuff speech honoring the life of a woman who had mentored her in the acting world for decades.<\/p>\n Speaking about Keaton, Witherspoon said, \u201cShe was incredible, indelible and just a truly original person.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m gonna try to get through this without tearing up,\u201d she continued. \u201cBut I don\u2019t know if you guys heard that Diane Keaton passed today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDiane was one of my first mentors in this business,\u201d Witherspoon shared. \u201cI was 15 years old, I was from Nashville, Tennessee, and I didn\u2019t know anybody. It was my second, maybe my third movie<\/a> audition ever.\u201d<\/p>\n The decorated actress continued, \u201cI came in with this big country accent, and I was playing this little Southern girl. She goes, \u2018Who are you?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Witherspoon went on, \u201cI said, \u2018I\u2019m Reese Witherspoon and I\u2019m from Nashville, Tennessee.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n As she told the story, Witherspoon slipped back into the voice of her 15-year-old self \u2014 raising the pitch of her voice and channeling the wide-eyed newcomer she once was \u2014 to give the crowd a sense of just how young and green she felt in that moment.<\/p>\n Witherspoon shared how Keaton was instantly enamored with her and her accent. \u201cShe said, \u2018Are you making that up? That accent you\u2019re doing?\u2019\u201d Witherspoon recalled. \u201cI said, \u2018No ma\u2019am, I\u2019m from Nashville, Tennessee, and I\u2019d love to be in your movie.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Showing just how in awe Keaton was of her in that moment, Witherspoon explained, \u201cShe was like, \u2018Well, you\u2019re hired. You\u2019re hired today, tomorrow and the next day. I don\u2019t know who you are, but I\u2019m so excited to have you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Diane Keaton passed away at the age of 79.<\/p>\n No. According to Men’s Journal she even once said “I don’t want to be a wife. No”<\/p>\n See which country couples have been married the longest. At No. 1 it’s a couple who have been married for nearly 60 years!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Keith and Nicole sure laid on the PDA! Sadly, their love story has come to end, but we’ll never forget their chemistry on the red carpet. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Jess Rose<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\nReese Witherspoon Remembers Her First Meeting With Diane Keaton<\/h3>\n
How Old Was Diane Keaton When She Died?<\/h3>\n
Was Diane Keaton Married?<\/h3>\n
Learn Which Country Couples Have Been Married the Longest<\/h2>\n
Keith Urban + Nicole Kidman’s Cutest Red Carpet Moments<\/h2>\n