“SNL”’s Ashley Padilla Reveals the Unorthodox Way She Became Diane Keaton’s Assistant
“SNL”’s Ashley Padilla Reveals the Unorthodox Way She Became Diane Keaton’s Assistant
Yamillah HurtadoWed, March 4, 2026 at 9:20 PM UTC
0
Diane Keaton in 2017 (left); Ashley PadillaCredit: Steve Granitz/WireImage; Robby Klein/Getty -
Saturday Night Live’s Ashley Padilla revealed how she became Diane Keaton’s assistant in an interview
While working for the late actress, the comedian shared that they became close friends and had a mentor-mentee relationship
“I learned a lot from her and being close to someone in the business who’s so funny and who has a vision,” Padilla said
Saturday Night Live's Ashley Padilla is opening up about how she became Diane Keaton's assistant.
After moving to Los Angeles to pursue comedy, Padilla, 32, paid her way through improv school by being a restaurant server. It was during this time that she landed a one-night gig handing out party favors at Keaton’s Brentwood home, Padilla told Vulture in a Monday, March 2 interview. At the end of the party, Keaton’s assistant asked her if she wanted to help clean up the next day, and the rest was history.
“For a couple hundred bucks more? I was like, ‘You’re joking. Yes,’ " Padilla explained.
From then on, Padilla spent her days running errands and driving Keaton’s son, Duke Keaton, around.
“I think I dropped off Christmas gifts at her friends’ houses,” Padilla recalled. “I would always be like, ‘I’ll do anything you guys need.’ "
Ashley Padilla on 'Saturday Night Live' in February 2026Credit: Esther Kuhn/NBC via Getty
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
While working for the Oscar-winning actress, the two developed a close relationship, with Padilla becoming Keaton’s assistant, friend and mentee.
“I learned a lot from her and being close to someone in the business who’s so funny and who has a vision,” the comedian said. “She taught me that you’ve got to know yourself. She knew what she likes.”
Advertisement
Padilla told the outlet that Keaton would attend her Groundlings — the L.A. sketch and improv school she was a member of until joining SNL as a featured player in 2024 — shows. The late actress even asked Padilla to design and edit her 2024 book Fashion First.
Though she didn’t have prior experience designing, Padilla said she “could do it because she believed I could,” adding that Keaton wanted her to succeed.
When Padilla learned she had been hired for the late-night comedy show and put in her notice, she said it was as if Keaton already knew.
“She didn’t even say ‘hello’ when she answered. She just said, ‘You’re moving to New York,’ " the Summer Camp actress noted. “She was a very intuitive individual.”
Diane Keaton at The Huntington Library in San Marino, California in October 2022Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Following Keaton’s death in October 2025, Padilla paid tribute to the Annie Hall actress and shared her gratitude to her former boss on Instagram.
"I will never forget you. I will always love you," she wrote on her Instagram Stories. "And I will miss you all of the time. Thank you for everything, Diane. You changed my life."
Keaton died on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at the age of 79.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
