Ashley Padilla Reflects on Becoming Diane Keaton’s Assistant and Her Lessons

In a recent conversation, Ashley Padilla described how a one-night job handing out party favors led to a longer-term role working for and learning from the late actress diane keaton. Padilla framed the arrangement as an early, formative chapter that helped shape her comedy career and creative confidence.

From a party job to full-time work

Padilla said she first met the actress while working in Los Angeles in her early 20s, taking odd jobs to support her stand-up and improv. A single evening spent distributing party favors turned into a return invitation to help clean up the following day — a task she accepted for “a couple hundred bucks more. ” That small decision expanded into a role running errands, handling deliveries and even driving the actress’s son when needed.

What Diane Keaton taught her

Padilla described the actress as both a mentor and a close friend who paid close attention to craft and personal taste. Padilla said she learned “you’ve got to know yourself” and that the actress “knew what she likes. ” She also recalled the actress’s intuition: when Padilla moved toward the next phase of her career, the actress answered a call with the brisk instruction, “You’re moving to New York. ”

Creative collaboration and career impact

The working relationship extended beyond errands. Padilla said the actress attended her Groundlings improv and sketch shows while Padilla was building her comedy résumé. The actress later tapped Padilla to edit and design a fashion book titled Fashion First, a project Padilla took on despite having no prior book-editing experience, saying she could do it because the actress believed in her.

How the mentorship influenced Padilla’s SNL path

Padilla joined Saturday Night Live as a featured player in 2024 after time with the Groundlings. She credited the mentorship with boosting her confidence and professional readiness. With nearly a decade working with the actress, Padilla said she learned from someone “so funny and who has a vision, ” lessons she has carried into recurring sketch work and impressions on the late-night show.

After the actress’s death and what comes next

Following the actress’s death in October 2025, Padilla posted several tributes on social media, writing that she would never forget her and that the actress had “changed my life. ” With Padilla moving into her second season on the sketch show and gaining recognition for a range of characters and sketches, she appears to be building on that mentorship. Saturday Night Live continues to air Saturday nights at 11: 30 pm ET, where Padilla’s developing work remains visible to a national audience.

Key takeaways

• Padilla’s assistant role began with a one-night party job and grew into nearly a decade-long professional friendship.
• The actress encouraged Padilla to take on creative responsibilities, including editing and designing a book released in 2024.
• Padilla credits those years with sharpening her comedic voice as she advanced on the national sketch show stage.