Emotions ran high during Sunday night'sOscars, asMeg Ryan,Billy Crystal,Demi Moore,Kathy Bates,Christopher Guest, and more stars fromRob Reiner's various projects reunited for a powerful tribute to the belovedWhen Harry Met Sallydirector.
Three months after the lauded filmmaker and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner,died in an apparent homicideat their California home, Crystal took the Academy Awards stage to introduce the In Memoriam segment, which kicked off with a tribute to the director's life and impact on Hollywood.
After Crystal listed off a roster of projects Reiner helmed over the years, a collective of actors who've appeared in his works made their way to the stage, holding hands as the audience applauded.
Included in the presentation were stars fromStand By Me, The Princess Bride, Misery, The American President, The Sure Thing, andA Few Good Men(which earned Reiner his one and only Oscar nomination as a producer).
Individuals who appeared on stage included Crystal, Ryan, Moore, Bates, Guest, Michael McKean,Jerry O'Connell, Wil Wheaton, Fred Savage,Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Carol Kane, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollak,Annette Bening,John Cusack, and Daphne Zuniga.
Reiner and his wife were found dead on December 14, 2025. Their youngest son, Nick Reiner, was eventually charged withtwo counts of first-degree murder in connection with their deaths.He recently pleaded not guilty.
Sunday's Oscars tribute came days afterEntertainment Weeklyconfirmed thatCorey Feldman,the former child star who appeared in the director's popular projectStand By Me,was"furious" upon discoveringthat he wouldn't be included in the tribute.
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"I JUST WANT 2 BRIEFLY MENTION THIS WHOLE OSCARS THING! YES ITS TRUE THAT I WAS NOT INVITED, I UNDERSTAND MANY BELIEVE ITS DUE 2 BEING OUTSPOKEN ABOUT THE ABUSE I SUFFERED AS A CHILD & THE CAMPAIGN 2 SILENCE ME," Feldman later alleged on social media, referencing his years of outspoken support for survivors of sexual abuse, which hesaid he previously experienced in his career.
Following Reiner's death, waves of tributes poured in across Hollywood, including from those he worked with and many who were inspired by his artistry on the big screen.
His longtime friend and 2026 Academy Awards host Conan O'Brien honored Reiner in a February interview withThe New Yorker.
"I knew Rob and Michele, and then increasingly got closer and closer to them, and I was seeing them a lot," he told the publication. "My wife and I were seeing them a lot, and they were so — they were just such lovely people. 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."
On the awards circuit,Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser closed the 2026 ceremonyin January with a sweet tribute to Reiner, wearing a black cap bearing the logo of the titular band at the center of Reiner's 1984 comedy,This Is Spinal Tap.
"Well, that's our show. This one went to 11," Glaser said, referencing a signature scene in the comedy film, which saw Reiner play doc filmmaker Marty DiBergi, who interviewed guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) about an amplifier with a volume level that goes to 11 instead of 10.
As an actor, Reiner won two Emmys for his supporting performance in the sitcomAll in the Family.
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