Diane Keaton had no qualms about speaking her mind, regardless of the subject, even when it involved religion and her own spiritual journey. Talking to the Golden Globes back in 2001, she discussed her portrayal of a Catholic nun in Sister Mary Explains It All and how religion affected her childhood.
Religion is not a big part of my life. My father was an Irish Catholic and my mother was a Methodist, when I was a little girl in the ‘50s, but when the ‘60s arrived, they had dropped religion and moved on. It was a different time and they stopped going to church. I think they were right.
This experience shaped her view of heaven and hell, and while many fans wonder why she would choose to play a nun despite admitting she was not strictly religious, her reason was both shocking and impressive.
Diane Keaton Played A Catholic Nun Despite Complicated Relationship With Religion
When Sister Mary Explains It All came out at the beginning of the 21st century, Keaton revealed she had never spoken to nuns before. Playing Sister Mary was quite the challenge because the character was an authoritarian whose teachings thrived in fanatical beliefs.
Keaton said in the same conversation that she was raised religious but not as a Catholic, and more importantly, she didn’t believe in the existence of hell. “I can’t really accept hell as a concept at all, that kind of punishment is absurd,” the actress argued.
She also couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that people should burn in hell for eternity, later adding that no one deserves such a fate. Moreover, Keaton said that the teachings of the Catholic church can be difficult to understand because they are so dense, taking the tradition of eating fish on Friday instead of meat as an example.
TitleSister Mary Explains It AllRelease DateMay 27, 2001DirectorMarshall BrickmanRotten Tomatoes48%
Interestingly, Keaton wrote and directed a 1987 documentary film called Heaven, which tackled beliefs concerning the afterlife and heaven in particular.
Keaton Revealed Surprising Reason Why She Agreed to Star In Sister Mary Explains It All
Diane Keaton / Credits: The Ellen Show on YouTube
The reason Keaton was drawn to the titular role was very simple. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, she said:
I saw it when it was in a workshop many years ago, and I just thought, I knew that that was a part that I could never do. And guess what? I was right.
She was so worried about her performance that she sought the help of two acting coaches. Despite the movie getting critically panned and even being called for a boycott, her acting was lauded by fans, a testament to her enduring talent.
What do you think of Keaton’s interesting take on faith and religion? Let us know in the comments!
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