Sarah Paulson Shares the Heartwarming Thing Diane Keaton Did at Every Dinner Out Together
Sarah Paulson and Diane Keaton’s friendship was one of Hollywood’s most unexpected and delightful pairings, built on mutual admiration, humor, and authenticity. Fans were saddened to hear of Keaton’s passing on October 11, 2025. Hours after her death was confirmed, cameras spotted Paulson crying as she exited the late actress’s LA home. Since then, the American Horror Story star has paid homage to her friend. She even shared a sweet story about Keaton on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live.
Diane Keaton gave cash to specific waitstaff every time she dined out with Sarah Paulson
When Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen asked Sarah Paulson to share a favorite memory of Diane Keaton, the 50-year-old gasped, saying, “Oh god, Andrew. Um, I have a lot of them. I didn’t think you were going to ask me this.”
“Sorry,” the Bravo executive producer said. “No, it’s okay,” Paulson replied. “One thing that was remarkable about Diane, and there were so many — she played my mom in The Other Sister when I was 20 years old. And I knew her this whole time … She always gave me the most incredible advice about work things.” Paulson explained that she’d go out to dinner with Keaton all of the time, long before Paulson was acting regularly. The All’s Fair actress said she would “lament” to Keaton about her struggles with her acting career.
“The thing that was the most amazing thing about Diane was that every time we’d go to dinner, when the meal was finished, she would get up and ask to go to the kitchen,” Paulson continued. “And she would give cash to all of the busboys. All of them. Every restaurant we ever went to.”
Paulson said they went out for countless dinners together. “But it happened every single time,” Paulson explained. “She wanted to go into the kitchen. She wanted to talk to them. But it was the busboys, not the chef. She wanted to go give cash to all of them.”
Sarah Paulson and Diane Keaton’s enduring friendship
The pair met in 1999 while filming the rom-com The Other Sister, in which Keaton played Paulson’s on-screen mother. The Ratched actress has long spoken about Keaton as a creative hero, often referencing her wit, bold sense of style, and refusal to conform to Hollywood norms.
Their friendship deepened around 2018, when they began appearing together at industry dinners and award season events. Paulson has described Keaton as a “one-of-a-kind” friend who is “exactly the same in private as she is in public — joyful, curious, and a little chaotic.” They often appeared in similar creative circles, supporting one another’s work at premieres and through social media mentions. Keaton has publicly praised Paulson’s acting range, calling her “fearless,” while Paulson has cited Keaton’s influence on her own approach to comedy and character work.
Their bond represented the kind of intergenerational friendship rare in Hollywood — one grounded in respect, playfulness, and a shared creative spirit.
