Sarah Paulson Remembers Her Dear Friend Diane Keaton | Women in Entertainment 2025

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Sarah Paulson read some of the messages she received from her friend Diane Keaton, and an email she wished she could write her today during the late actress's tribute at THR's Women in Entertainment gala.

Transcript

00:00I really wasn't sure I wanted to do this,

00:03show up on a Wednesday morning to talk about one of the greatest human beings the world has ever known,

00:08a magical creature who somehow, horribly, is no longer with us,

00:14someone who was a dear friend of mine for over 25 years,

00:19a person beloved by the world.

00:20Her name was Diane Keaton Hall, and she was surely one of the great loves of my life.

00:25I was actually in this room at this same event when I presented Diane

00:30with the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award in 2012.

00:34And here is some of what I said that morning.

00:37Good morning, everyone.

00:39Shortly after they asked me to deliver this award, a huge honor for me,

00:44since Diane is both one of my dearest friends as well as a hero of mine,

00:48I got an email from her.

00:50This is what she said.

00:52I'm sorry you got stuck writing a speech about me.

00:55Don't be nice.

00:57It's okay to let everyone know even an idiot can endure.

01:09I've known Diane for about 15 years,

01:11ever since she played my mother in The Other Sister.

01:14The thing I remember most about that movie is what a class act Diane was.

01:19One day we were doing a group scene,

01:21and the producer told me I would have to do my coverage with the script supervisor

01:24because all the other actors had to go home due to some turnaround issues.

01:27And having never done a movie before, I wasn't fully aware of what this meant.

01:32Luckily for me, I didn't have to wonder for very long

01:34because Diane stayed to do her lines with me,

01:36even though they were going to have to force her call if she did,

01:39even though at that time she had a two-year-old daughter at home waiting for her.

01:43She did ask me, however, if it would mess me up or distract me

01:46if she were to take off her costume and get into her street clothes,

01:48which I wish I had known would include six pairs of tights,

01:52a bowler hat, suspenders, a couple of crinolines,

01:56and in her gloved right hand, a massive glass of red wine on ice.

02:04At the end of the movie, when we had to say goodbye,

02:06I just burst into tears, and she took me aside and said,

02:09now listen, don't you worry, we're going to be friends,

02:12and she gave me her number.

02:13I had about 13 more years of friendship with her after that,

02:2013 more years of dinners and movies

02:23and crying with laughter and crying for real, too.

02:27She taught me about being myself.

02:29Wow, this is really hard.

02:31Not by explaining the virtues of it,

02:34but by just being the personification of this notion.

02:38And as I said earlier, I didn't think I wanted to do this.

02:40I mean, why would I want to stand inside my grief

02:43in front of a bunch of people I don't know?

02:46But then I thought, well,

02:47that was sort of what she did best, wasn't it?

02:50Stand before you, wearing her insides on the outside.

02:54She was transparent like a human x-ray machine.

02:57You could see her heartbeat in her eyeballs.

03:01Thanks, Golding.

03:02So I realized that saying yes to being here this morning

03:12meant I could be with her again,

03:14and it offered me a chance to go through my emails

03:17and my saved voicemails.

03:18Turns out everyone I know who ever got a message from her

03:20saved them because they were, well, they were really something.

03:25So I figured I shouldn't be greedy,

03:26and I'm going to share some of them with you.

03:28Moron, what is your address?

03:36630, Diane Keaton, actress.

03:40Truly, truly.

03:41I want to see you and your house, idiot.

03:45When date?

03:47Die.

03:48Sarah, I hate your phone.

03:50It is always full, and I can never leave a message.

03:53Moron, what is your address?

03:55Diane Keaton.

04:00Hurry home, sucker idiot.

04:02Die.

04:05How are you?

04:06I want to hear everything.

04:07When are you back?

04:08You sent me an email very recently, but it's gone.

04:10Don't ask why.

04:11Don't ask what I did.

04:12I'm a loser from way back.

04:17Look, I want to know every single thing that's going on with you.

04:19Your career, your love, your fucking house.

04:21When are you in?

04:22Love you, little special.

04:23Keep me abreast on developments.

04:25Diane, one of your friends.

04:30The 20th sounds good.

04:31You are driving me crazy.

04:33As usual, your voicemail is full.

04:34What makes you so fucking popular?

04:39Seriously, Holland was full of energy this morning when we ran into each other.

04:42She's a force.

04:43Totally charming, unique.

04:44You, on the other hand, you are a numbskull.

04:48It's sad.

04:49You had so much potential.

04:50Well, not really.

04:54Not really at all.

04:56Miss Diane Keaton, available on the phone.

04:58Sarah, I saw your movie last night.

05:02Your acting was great, and you looked beautiful.

05:03I tried to leave a message, but as usual, your voicemail was full.

05:08As usual, I called.

05:09As usual, your mailbox is full.

05:11As usual, I don't want to write a message.

05:12As usual, I want to see your face.

05:13As usual, I'm leaving town, or you're leaving town.

05:15All as usual, we are so fortunate.

05:18Do you love being an actress?

05:19I don't.

05:20Have you?

05:23Are you happy enough?

05:30Die.

05:32You are impossible to contact.

05:34I'm going to talk to Holland about you.

05:35First of all, you remain unreachable by phone.

05:37What the fuck are you doing?

05:40One of your very few old friends.

05:42Look, I've had it with your phone machine, or whatever.

05:47I have tried calling you so many times, it's creepy.

05:50I tried both numbers I have, and I can never get a chance to relay what I want to say.

05:54Every time I try to call you, I'm rejected.

05:57Do you have some secret phone number, moron?

06:01So, I figured I would end this by writing an email I wish I could write her today.

06:08Dear Dum-Dum, I want to tell you I'm sorry my voicemail was always full.

06:23I want to tell you I'm sorry I wasn't available every time you called me.

06:27I want to tell you how much crummier the world is without you in it.

06:34I want to tell you everything that happened in my life in the 54 days since you've been gone.

06:41I want to tell you how the world lost its mind with grief the day you died.

06:45And I want to tell you I will miss you forever, and I continue to be a moron,

06:50and I know that you would be heartened to know that.

06:54But most of all, I just want to say thank you.

06:58Thank you for being my friend, Sarah Paulson, actress.

07:05Please call.

Sarah Paulson Remembers Her Dear Friend Diane Keaton | Women in Entertainment 2025

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