News - “SNL” star pays tribute to mentor Diane Keaton after actress' death: 'You changed my life'

One Saturday Night Live cast member took a moment to pay tribute to a very special person in her life: Diane Keaton, the Godfather and The First Wives Club actress, who died Saturday at 79. SNL featured player Ashley Padilla previously worked as an assistant to the legendary actress, including on the 2024 film Summer Camp, which starred Keaton, Kathy Bates, and Alfre Woodard. Keaton also credited Padilla with helping create her 2024 book Fashion First. Padilla posted several tributes to the Oscar winner on her Instagram earlier in the day, including a grid post that featured a black-and-white candid photo of herself with Keaton and the caption I love you. 🤍 She posted another photo with the screen legend in an Instagram Stories post, writing: I will never forget you. I will always love you. And I will miss you all of the time. Thank you for everything, Diane. You changed my life. SNL also displayed an on-screen tribute to Keaton just before the show's goodnights. The actress never appeared on the NBC sketch show, but has been impersonated on it by Vanessa Bayer and Chloe Fineman. During the early part of Keaton's career, she was known for her frequent collaborations with director Woody Allen, and she later enjoyed a close working relationship with filmmaker Nancy Meyers. Keaton won the Best Actress Oscar in 1978 for Annie Hall, and was nominated for the award three more times, for Reds, Marvin's Room, and Something's Gotta Give. She also appeared in films like Baby Boom, Father of the Bride, and Book Club. No details were disclosed about Keaton's cause of death. She is survived by her two children, Dexter and Duke. Padilla appeared in numerous sketches during Saturday's show, hosted by Amy Poehler with musical guest Role Model, including the cold open. The Groundlings alum was one of three new featured players added to the season 50 cast, along with Jane Wickline and Emil Wakim, the latter of whom did not return for the new season. She is now in her second season on the cast, joined by new featured players Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska. Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter. Saturday's episode marked the official 50th anniversary of SNL, which premiered Oct. 11, 1975. Created by Lorne Michaels, Saturday Night Live launched the careers of comedy icons like Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and Gilda Radner, all part of the original cast known as the Not Ready for Primetime Players. Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.