Oscar winner Diane Keaton died at age 79 on Saturday, Oct. 11, just hours before Saturday Night Live went to air
The show paid tribute to the Oscar winner
Keaton never hosted SNL, but Vanessa Bayer and Chloe Fineman played her over the years
Saturday Night Live took a moment to honor Diane Keaton during the second episode of its 51st season.
PEOPLE confirmed that the Oscar winner died at 79 in California on Saturday, Oct. 11, just hours before the show was set to air.
The show, which was celebrating the 50th anniversary of its premiere, honored the Oscar winner with a tribute card at the end of the episode. The black and white image featured Keaton with a wide smile, wearing her signature collared shirt and tie. Her name was written on the phone in a simple typeface.
For the farewells before the credits ran, host Amy Poehler wore a collared shirt and tie, another nod to the late actress.
Keaton never appeared on SNL herself, though Vanessa Bayer played her in 2012 in a sketch celebrating “lesser known James Bond girls you may have forgotten from every era.”
“Prepare to die. I guess. I don’t know,” Bayer as Keaton said with a laugh, holding a small pistol and fully dressed in bed with 007.
Chloe Fineman stepped into her shoes for a Father of the Bride sketch in 2022. “She’s an icon in beige, and we’re here for it,” a voiceover said in the sketch.
While Poehler and Keaton never worked together, the Father of the Bride star shared her love for the Parks and Recreation star on Twitter (now X) in 2014.
“So I have something to say about a new discovery,” Keaton wrote. “I’ve fallen in love with Amy Poehler. … My 13 year old son Duke and I have now seen three years of Parks and Rec episodes in four months. Last night we saw Amy get married. That sealed the deal for me. My love for her is now eternal.”
She continued: “Amy Poehler can do anything. Not only is she drop dead funny, she’s charming, sweet, warm and beautiful. Especially as a bride.”
Keaton first rose to fame in the 1970s after appearances in The Godfather films and numerous collaborations with director Woody Allen. She won an Oscar for Best Actress for 1977’s Annie Hall.
She also frequently collaborated with director Nancy Meyers on movies such as Father of the Bride, Baby Boom, Something’s Gotta Give and It’s Complicated.
Keaton is survived by her two children, daughter Dexter and son Duke.
Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
