Sarah Jessica Parker counted herself lucky to work with the late Diane Keaton not once — but twice.
“Diane Keaton has been a point of inspiration for countless actresses. I include myself among those who loved and admired her,” Parker, 60, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, October 12. “I was very privileged to witness her singular skill and talent on both First Wives Club and The Family Stone.”
News broke on Saturday, October 11, that Keaton died at the age of 79. The Oscar-winning actress, who is survived by her two children, starred as Annie Paradis in 1996’s The First Wives Club, a buddy comedy where a trio of women (Keaton, Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler) plot revenge on their exes, who all leave them for younger women. Parker appears in the flick as Shelly Stewart.
Nine years later, Parker and Keaton worked together again on 2005’s The Family Stone. In the romantic comedy, Parker played Meredith Morton, who visits boyfriend Everett Stone’s (Dermot Mulroney) family over the holidays. Keaton portrayed matriarch Sybil Stone, who disapproved of the soon-to-be engaged couple.
“I will cherish those memories on set, as well [as] her touching, delightful and perfectly own cinematic career, which is a gorgeous legacy of an exquisite person,” Parker added in her social media tribute. “She will be terribly missed. RIP and Godspeed you glorious creature.”
Mulroney, 61, also mourned Keaton’s legacy on Sunday, sharing footage from The Family Stone via his Instagram Story
“You brought out the best in me, Diane,” Mulroney wrote, alongside broken heart and praying hands emojis.
Many of The Family Stone cast — the remaining Stone siblings were brought to life by Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams and Luke Wilson — had been in awe of working alongside Keaton in the holiday blockbuster.
“We did wind up spending more time together and had a couple of nice dinners. It’s very helpful,” Wilson, 54, who played Ben Stone, exclusively told Us Weekly in 2021. “Diane — we all kind of admired her. In my mind, here’s Sarah Jessica and she’s this icon of fashion and humor from Sex and the City and then here’s the original icon of fashion and humor — Diane. … And then Rachel McAdams was great. I just remember those being kind of exciting, where you’re going to dinner alone meeting all these people.”
He added, “Some of them that you know and most of them you don’t so you are a little bit uncomfortable walking in. I just remember the idea of leaving and saying like, ‘These people are great! I can’t wait to work with them.’”
Mulroney clearly felt the same, telling Us that he had an “amazing time” working with the entire ensemble.
“I did not see that coming,” Mulroney told Us in 2021 of the film’s enduring popularity. “I knew we were making a brilliant film. Tom Bezucha wrote, directed, designed and just handcrafted this whole film. He’s just a brilliant director. So I knew we were in great hands and the cast is incredible … It’s incredible because that movie really is like a gift that keeps on giving every year and it brings so much joy and so much heart to people’s lives.”
