Rob Reiner Tribute at 2026 Oscars: ‘Loved Playing Your Best Friend’

Each year at the Oscars, emotions run high not only because of the award winners but also in the remembrance of those we’ve lost. This year’s 98th edition was no exception, featuring the tearful moment when Jessie Buckley received her Best Actress award for Hamnet and—most notably—a segment that will undoubtedly go down in Academy history: the tribute to Rob Reiner, nearly three months to the day after his tragic death on December 14th, alongside his wife Michelle, both victims of a crime committed by their son Nick.

Similar to the César’s tribute to Alain Resnais in 2015, actors from Reiner’s major films gathered on stage for a deeply moving homage. It began with Billy Crystal, star of “When Harry Met Sally” and a nine-time Oscar host, who stood alone in front of posters from “Spinal Tap,” “Stand By Me,” “The Princess Bride,” “A Few Good Men,” “Misery,” “The American President,” “The Sure Thing,” and the aforementioned film, one of the greatest romantic comedies ever made.

“I met Rob Reiner when I was cast to play his best friend in an episode of”All in the Family“, began the actor and writer. “And it went so well that Rob said, ‘I had so much fun playing your friend, why don’t we continue?’ It was thrilling to see him evolve from a superb comedic actor to a master storyteller. The films of my friend Rob [which he had listed on stage just seconds earlier] will forever be etched in our memories because they spoke to what makes us cry and laugh, and to what we aspire to be—better through his eyes, kinder, funnier, and more human.”

“His films spoke to what makes us cry and laugh, and to what we aspire to be”

“To the millions who have loved his films over the years, here and around the world, I want you to know how many times Rob told me how much it meant to him that his work resonated with you. And for those of us who had the privilege of working with him, as well as knowing and loving him, all we can say is, buddy, what a joy it was to storm the castle with you.”

And with those words, Billy Crystal was joined on stage by some of the most iconic actors from Reiner’s directing career, including his “When Harry Met Sally” co-star Meg Ryan; Kathy Bates (“Misery”); Demi Moore and Kevin Pollak (“A Few Good Men”); Christopher Guest and Michael McKean (“Spinal Tap”); Jerry O’Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, and Wil Wheaton (“Stand By Me”); Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Fred Savage, and Carol Kane (“The Princess Bride”); Annette Bening (“The American President”); and John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga (“The Sure Thing”).

A dream cast moved forward, teary-eyed under the applause, before turning back one last time towards the portraits of Rob and Michelle Reiner displayed behind them, marking the end of one of the most memorable sequences in recent Oscar history.

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