Rob Reiner Receives Moving Tribute from Many of His Actors, Including Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, at 2026 Oscars
Rob Reiner Receives Moving Tribute from Many of His Actors, Including Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, at 2026 Oscars
Brenton Blanchet, Jack SmartMon, March 16, 2026 at 1:22 AM UTC
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Billy Crystal at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty -
The late actor-director Rob Reiner was honored by several cast members from his films during the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 15
Billy Crystal gave a moving rundown of Reiner's most notable films
Meg Ryan, Jerry O’Connell, Kathy Bates, Annette Bening, Carol Kane, Kiefer Sutherland and more appeared in support of the filmmaker
Rob Reiner is being remembered by the creatives who knew him best.
On Sunday, March. 15, over a dozen actors who worked alongside the late director on films including When Harry Met Sally, This Is Spinal Tap, Stand by Me and The Princess Bride appeared on stage at the 98th Academy Awards to reflect on his life and legacy.
Taking the Dolby Theatre stage in Los Angeles was Reiner's longtime friend and collaborator Billy Crystal, who listed many of the filmmaker's notable projects, noting their variety and impact.
"My friends, Rob's movies will last for lifetimes, because they were about what makes us laugh and cry, and what we aspire to be far better in his eyes: far kinder, far funnier, and far more human," said Crystal, 78.
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He then shouted out Reiner's marriage with the late Michele Singer Reiner. "They were unstoppable," said the actor. "A gifted photographer, she not only produced films with Rob, but it was her energy that had them working tirelessly to fight social injustice in the country that they both loved. Rob and Michele Reiner became the driving force in the landmark decision for marriage equality across the United States."
(Left-right:) Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Jerry O'Connell, Wil Wheaton, Fred Savage, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Carol Kane, Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Kiefer Sutherland, Demi Moore, Kevin Pollak, Kathy Bates, Annette Bening, John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty
Calling their loss "immeasurable," Crystal continued: "To the millions who have enjoyed his films all these years, I want you to know, here and around the world, how many times Rob told me that it meant everything to him, that his work meant something to you — and for us who had the privilege of working with and knowing him and loving him."
As the When Harry Met Sally star concluded his speech — "Buddy, what fun we had storming the castle" — Meg Ryan, Demi Moore, John Cusack, Jerry O'Connell, Wil Wheaton, Kathy Bates, Annette Bening, Cary Elwes, Carol Kane, Kiefer Sutherland and more appeared and stood silently together.
The Reiner tribute comes three months after the actor-director and his wife were killed in their Los Angeles home on Sunday, Dec. 14.
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The Reiners' middle child, Nick Reiner, was arrested the day after his parents’ deaths. Nick, 32, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances, including the use of a knife and has pleaded not guilty and remained in custody without bail since his arrest. Nick waived his right to a speedy trial in February and is next due in court on April 29. He could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty if convicted.
Rob and Michele Singer Reiner honored at 98th Academy Awards on March 15Credit: Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty
Ahead of the Oscars, host Conan O'Brien — a friend of the Reiners whose holiday party they attended the night before their deaths — briefly spoke with Extra about the tribute, which he called "hard to sum up."
"But it's going to be a very powerful part of the show," O'Brien said during a red carpet tied to the event on March 12.
O’Brien detailed his shock over the deaths of his friends, in a previous interview with The New Yorker, saying the three “increasingly got closer and closer” over the years. “They were just such lovely people,” he said. “And to have that experience of saying good night to somebody and having them leave and then find out the next day that they’re gone … I think I was in shock for quite a while afterward. I mean, there’s no other word for it.”
O’Brien also praised Reiner and his filmography and said he keeps “mulling over the body of work.”
Stand by Me's O'Connell, Wheaton and Corey Feldman caught up with PEOPLE this past week about their 40th anniversary screenings of the film and the loss of the Reiners. “When the news came around, I was so grateful that we were all reconnected because we really helped each other out, especially those immediate moments when it was shocking,” O’Connell said.
Wheaton added: “It turns out that we really needed each other in those days. We had just before reforged the bonds that I feel like are going to hold us together for the rest of our lives. That was a real blessing. It was awful, but I am so grateful that we have each other.”
See PEOPLE's coverage of the 98th Academy Awards, airing live on ABC and Hulu on March 15.
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