Hollywood Leading Lady and American Icon Diane Keaton Poses for the Cover of AARP The Magazine and Speaks Candidly on Overcoming Bulimia, Life as a Single Mom and Staying "Forever Young"

WASHINGTON, March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As one of Hollywood's most beloved actresses, Diane Keaton has seen her share of remarkable Hollywood romances and unimaginable successes. In an exclusive interview with AARP The Magazine, the Oscar winner speaks openly on romance, parenting and plastic surgery. Tackling life as a single parent, the Darling Companion actress shares the challenges of raising two teenage children at age 66 while managing a busy career. After 40 years as a leading lady, the actress recently took on modeling, as a spokesperson for L'Oreal Paris and a line for Chico's, saying, "I never understood the idea that you're supposed to mellow as you get older."

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20070209/NYF043LOGO)

The following are excerpts from the April/May issue of AARP The Magazine featuring Diane Keaton, available in homes March 24th and online NOW at www.aarp.org/magazine.

On Aging:

"Let me tell you the best part about getting older. The best part is that I'm still here and, because the end is in sight, I treasure it all more. That's why I don't worry about crying in a scene anymore. Now it comes easily. I know the emotion's all there."

"You have to live life that way, you know? Take risks. Do things you can't imagine. 'Cause hey, why not, right?"

"Slowing down isn't something I relate to at all. The goal is to continue in good and bad, all of it. To continue to express myself, particularly. To feel the world. To explore. To be with people. To take things far. To risk. To love. I just want to know more and see more."

On the Possibility of Plastic Surgery:

"I haven't had it, but never say never. Because when you do, you are definitely going to go there. I said I would never have intercourse before I was married, and I did. I said I would never go to a psychiatrist, and I spent much of my life in psychoanalysis. I've done all kinds of things I said I wouldn't do and, of course, now I'm glad. Thrilled."

On Her Love Life:

"I think it was just my whole life. How I responded first to boys and then to men. It had nothing to do with reality."

"Relationships are hard. You're lucky if you find someone."

In regards to romance, "It's not something I can visualize right now. The best relationships develop out of friendships. That's the shame. At this stage I don't correlate any of the friendships I have with sex, and, honestly, once you bring sex into a friendship—Ooh! Whew! Oh!—that's a slippery slope into disaster."

On Parenting:

"As a parent I provide all I can, but I think in the best possible scenario you need to have a man."

"At this point in my life, everything's throwing me punches from left and right, but it's certainly been an amazing adventure."

"I'm very aware that my dad died when he was 68, and my mother was in her early 70s when her brain really started to go. When I think about my kids in their 20s and 30s, and me in my 70s and 80s, I worry about that, definitely. I want to be there for them. I want my body and mind to stay strong, and to share all these life lessons. But I also know they need to have the freedom and independence to learn on their own."

On Her Battle with Bulimia:

"With bulimia, I never expected sympathy or for people to understand. What I cared about was the secret I kept. It felt like a burden. I never told my mother."

"It's amazing how the dark secrets inside us don't matter much to the outside world."

On Her Dream Role:

"A really out-there role where I let it all hang out. Get totally enraged. Go to an extreme. I have not really had that opportunity, and I hope it will happen."

PLUS: Don't miss what Kevin Kline, Lawrence Kasdan and Sarah Jessica Parker had to say about Diane Keaton in the full story, available now at www.aarp.org/magazine.

An image of the April/May cover of AARP The Magazine featuring Diane Keaton is available upon request.

About AARP The Magazine
With nearly 35 million readers nationwide, AARP The Magazine (www.aarpmagazine.org) is the world's largest circulation magazine and the definitive lifestyle publication for Americans 50+. Reaching over 22 million households, AARP The Magazine delivers comprehensive content through in-depth celebrity interviews, health and fitness features, consumer interest information and tips, book and movie reviews and financial guidance. Published bimonthly in print and continually online, AARP The Magazine was founded in 1958 and is the flagship title of AARP Publications.

About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with nearly 35 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's millions of members and Americans 50+; AARP VIVA, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

SOURCE AARP