Actress Sarah Paulson delivered a moving and deeply personal tribute to her late friend, the legendary Diane Keaton, during a high-profile industry gala this week. The emotional moment occurred at The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Gala in Beverly Hills, where Paulson, 50, revealed the last voice messages she received from the Annie Hall star before her passing.
Heartfelt Messages from a Hollywood Icon
Standing at the podium of the Beverly Hills Hotel, with guests including Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez looking on, Paulson read aloud a series of saved voicemails. The messages perfectly captured Keaton's famously eccentric and affectionate character. The first message began with typical Keaton bluntness: 'Sarah, I hate your phone. It is always full, and I can never leave a message. Moron, what is your address? Hurry home, sucker idiot. Diane.'
Another voicemail showcased her playful curiosity and self-deprecating humour: 'How are you? I want to hear everything. When are you back? You sent me an email very recently, but it's gone. Don't ask why. Don't ask what I did. I'm a loser from way back.'
A Friendship Forged on Set
The pair first met in 1999 while co-starring in the film The Other Sister, forging a close friendship that lasted over two decades. Paulson told the audience she had saved all of Keaton's old voicemails, a decision that allowed her to hear her friend's voice again after Keaton's death from pneumonia in October at the age of 79.
One particularly touching saved message read: 'Look, I want to know every single thing that's going on with you—your career, your love, your f***ing house. When are you in? Love you, little special. Keep me abreast on developments. Diane, one of your friends.' Paulson described the messages as always being 'really something.'
A Public Grieving Process
This was not the first time Paulson has publicly grappled with the loss. In October, during the premiere of All’s Fair, she became visibly emotional when asked about Keaton. After telling reporters she was 'profoundly sad,' her composure broke during an interview with Access.
Fighting through tears, she stated, 'She was a very dear friend of mine, so it's not something I'm able to talk about yet.' She added, 'What you thought she was as a performer ... she was even more spectacular as a human being. And I was the luckiest person in the world to have had her in my life the way that I did.'
Paulson concluded her gala speech by reading an email she wished Keaton could have seen, a direct address to her late friend: 'Dear dumb-dumb, I want to tell you I'm sorry that voicemail was always full. I want to tell you I'm sorry I wasn't available every time you called me. I want to tell you how much crummier the world is without you in it.' The poignant tribute highlighted the profound and enduring nature of their Hollywood friendship.
