Ashley Padilla recalled on Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang” that Diane Keaton promised to “lay low” at one of her Groundlings improv shows, but arrived in what Padilla called “the biggest tutu,” with a large hat, and laughed enthusiastically through every sketch.
Padilla first worked for Keaton after handing out party favors at a gathering in Keaton’s Brentwood home and helping clean up the next day; the jobs grew to errands and creative projects. Padilla later proposed a book about Keaton’s clothes after publishers passed on their collage-book idea. Keaton trusted her to help design “Fashion First,” a 304-page style book published by Rizzoli in 2024, despite Padilla having no book-making experience.
The conversation also touched on Keaton’s influence: Padilla said Keaton’s childlike curiosity changed how she noticed everyday things. Keaton died on Oct. 11, 2025, at 79. Padilla joined “Saturday Night Live” for Season 50 in 2024 after years of frustration and saying she was ready to quit; she used a Keaton impression in her audition and is returning for Season 52, which premieres Sept. 26.
