Al Pacino allegedly reacted to Diane Keaton‘s death news by expressing how he regretted not marrying her. The comment came from a close friend of the actor, who shared that Keaton was the love of his life (via Daily Mail). However, Pacino shared in his memoir, Sonny Boy, the reason why he never got married (via PEOPLE).
He also revealed the one person with whom he came close to tying the knot, and it wasn’t Keaton. Pacino opened up about his relationship with Kathleen Quinlan, which dated back to the ’80s. He met her at a party when he was hanging out with Robert De Niro, and they both had other partners at the time.
They began a casual relationship when he was filming Scarface. He described her as “my comfort” amid the difficult filming of the movie. He also shared that it was “the closest I’ve ever come to getting married.” However, Pacino was always scared of getting married and having a wife. He shared in his memoir:
But I’ve always shied away from marriage. I guess I didn’t see how it would help anything. I just wanted to avoid what I thought, at the time, was the inevitable: an entrance to the pain train.
However, he shared that it was a difficult decision, especially with Quinlan. He shared that “it wasn’t easy to say no to marriage with a woman I love.” He added that “it hurt when she left, and I carried the hurt with me for years.”
This appears to be in contrast to what the earlier source shared about Keaton being the love of his life. Interestingly, Keaton shared in a 2013 interview with The Telegraph that she didn’t think Pacino was the love of her life. She shared, “Our relationship was absolutely wonderful in some ways, but is he the love of my life? No, not really.”
She further clarified, “He was the love of that time of my life. Each man had a different decade.” Keaton had high-profile relationships with actor Warren Beatty and filmmaker Woody Allen. Pacino famously dated actresses like Jill Clayburgh and Tuesday Weld. He also had kids with acting coach Jan Tarrant, ex Beverly D’Angelo, and producer Noor Alfallah.
Diane Keaton Believed Marriage Would’ve Been a ‘Nightmare’ for Al Pacino
Diane Keaton shared in an interview with The Times in 2017 that she once believed she and Pacino would get married. Neil Fisher, who interviewed her at the time, recounted the story on Sunday after her death at the age of 79. She shared in the interview that she didn’t even want the actor to propose to her.
She shared, “I didn’t even want him to propose. I just thought maybe he would marry me, eventually. I thought, ‘don’t even propose — let’s just do it.’” However, she shared that it never happened and believed that it was “a blessing for both of us.”
She shared, “It would have been a nightmare for him.” She explained that when they both met on the set of The Godfather, they were very “eccentric”. Keaton shared that they both needed partners who would take care of each other, which made them go their separate ways. However, she added that it wasn’t her decision to split. She shared during the interview:
We’re very eccentric, he needed a woman that was going to take care of him, I needed a man who would take care of me … It was just very important that we left each other alone, said goodbye. But it wasn’t my choice.
She gushed about her former lover during a 2017 interview with PEOPLE. She shared that she developed a “crush” when they started working together. She further shared:
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!
Keaton and Pacino finally split in 1990 when the latter refused to commit to marriage. It was reported that Keaton pushed for marriage and gave him an ultimatum.
Did Al Pacino Really Regret Not Marrying Diane Keaton?
A friend of Al Pacino told The Daily Mail that he would forever regret not marrying Diane Keaton. The friend shared on Pacino’s behalf, “[Pacino] will forever regret he didn’t make his move when he had the chance.” The 85-year-old actor believed for years after splitting up with Keaton that it was never too late for another go at their relationship. The source shared:
For years after he and Diane split, Al used to say, ‘If it’s meant to be, it’s never too late for a do-over.’ But sadly, now it is.
While Pacino was reportedly one who broke off the relationship after refusing to commit to marriage, he never stopped loving Keaton. They remained friends over the years and even showed up to support each other.
When Keaton was awarded the 45th AFI Life Achievement Award in 2017, the Scent of a Woman actor presented a tribute to Keaton. He praised her work and shared that working with her on The Godfather was a special part of his life. He shared about Keaton, “I feel as if I have known you my whole life.” He also added, “You’re a great artist. I love you forever.”
What do you think of Al Pacino and Diane Keaton’s relationship? Let us know in the comments below!
