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Kimberly Williams-Paisley is mourning the death of her co-star and on-screen mother Diane Keaton.
Keaton died on Saturday, October 11th in California at the age of 79. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Williams-Paisley, who played Keaton’s daughter in Father of the Bride, shared some touching memories of her time with Keaton, including his infectious laugh.
“Working with Diane is one of the best memories of my life,” says the 54-year-old actress. “The first time I auditioned for ‘Father of the Bride,’ I was 19 years old. They took me to Los Angeles to do a screen test, and I’d never done anything like that before. Then I got my hair and makeup done, and I was sent to the sound stage, where I got to read with Steve[Martin]and Diane.”
She says she went blind from the bright California sun when she walked into a darkened theater for a screen test.
“I couldn’t see anything,” she recalls.
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“And I remember hearing Diane laugh. Of course I knew who she was. I’ve been a huge fan since I was a kid. I saw Annie Hall, I saw The Godfather, I saw Baby Boom. And just the idea of me being in front of her, that’s what I was most nervous about. But it was just, wow, Diane Keaton. She’s just one of my idols,” Williams-Paisley continued.
“And first and foremost, hearing her laugh before I even met her was just a great omen. It was an auspicious start to a great relationship. I definitely shared a lot of laughs with her.”
Williams-Paisley said Keaton not only had a great laugh, but was also incredibly kind and generous to those around him.
“She had a great sense of humor, was always laughing and was very generous with her compliments,” she says. “I remember after doing something like ‘Father of the Bride,’ she took everyone’s phone number and then called everyone who worked on this production and just told them what a great job they did. She was so dedicated.”
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In 2020, Keaton told Vulture that the Father of the Bride movies were some of his favorites of the many films he has appeared in.
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Keaton, who played Nina Banks, the wife of Martin’s character George Banks, said, “Honestly, I love the Father of the Bride movie, even though it may seem boring. It was very moving.”
She added at the time: “I watched it again and it was just as good.”
Williams-Paisley paid tribute to Keaton on Instagram, sharing a photo of herself and the late actress sharing the screen and reflecting on her accomplishments.
“Diane, working with you has always been one of the highlights of my life,” she wrote. “You are one of a kind and I was thrilled to be in your orbit for a while. Thank you for your kindness, generosity, talent, and most of all your laughter. 🙏🏻🕊️💔❤️❤️❤️”
