Elizabeth Berkley Recalls Working with ‘Hero’ Diane Keaton on “First Wives Club”, Reveals What Late Actress Taught Her (Exclusive)

Elizabeth Berkley’s domiciled successful The First Wives Club marked a memorable infinitesimal successful her profession arsenic she portrayed nan young, gold-digging character Phoebe LaVelle.

Sharing nan surface pinch an all-star formed including Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler and nan precocious Diane Keaton, Berkley held her ain amid powerhouse performances.

At nan world premiere of Hulu’s caller ineligible drama, All’s Fair, Berkley reflected connected conscionable really meaningful her acquisition successful nan 1996 movie was and nan awesome effect Keaton had connected her arsenic a young actress.

“It was a profound time,” Berkley tells PEOPLE exclusively. “To beryllium embraced by these 3 astir bonzer women astatine nan apical of their game, women I had looked up to.” 

Fortunately, Berkley says Hawn, Midler, and Keaton not only met her expectations but exceeded them successful each way.

“They opportunity ne'er get excessively adjacent to your heroes,” Berkeley says. “Well, each of those women successful their ain correct not only lived up to what I hoped they would be, they went beyond pinch their warmth, their generosity, their clasp of maine and encouragement astatine a clip wherever I really needed it successful nan industry.”

Berkley notes really meaningful it was – past and now – to spot women coming together, particularly astatine a clip successful nan '90s erstwhile stories of female support were seldom highlighted.

“And connected that movie – those women did,” she says. “So for maine arsenic a 20-something to spot that, I realized what it could beryllium and that I ne'er wanted thing little than that.”

When it came to learning from Keaton, Berkeley says conscionable watching her successful action, connected set, was a “gift” successful itself.

She says location wasn't 1 "specific thing" Keaton showed her, but alternatively conscionable a measurement of being, noting that nan Godfather character taught her "what existent activity looks like."

“These women are extraordinary. They're each successful their ain right, a unit of nature,” she tells PEOPLE. “And so, to get to collaborate pinch that benignant of power, nan generosity connected group was really beautiful.”

The Showgirls actress besides shared that she had admired Keaton for years earlier they ever worked together, calling her a “hero” and expressing heavy sadness complete nan 79-year-old’s abrupt death connected Oct. 11, 2025.

“I'm very, very profoundly sad astir her passing,” she emphasizes. “But what a legacy, not only arsenic an creator but arsenic a woman, a creative.”

“Anyone who knew her knew what a immense bosom she had,” Berkeley adds. “And conscionable anyone was fortunate to beryllium successful her orbit. Just a loving, loving, typical woman."

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On Oct. 16, 2025, PEOPLE confirmed that nan Oscar victor died of bacterial pneumonia. She had been sick for respective days earlier her decease and had been nether a doctor’s attraction since Sept. 24, pinch her past sojourn connected Oct. 9.

No different conditions were listed, and nan Annie Hall character was cremated connected Oct. 14.

Keaton, who ne'er married, is survived by her two adopted children - girl Dexter, welcomed successful 1996, and boy Duke, successful 2001.