The 2026 Academy Awards are a celebration of a big year in Hollywood, but amidst all of that, there was considerable tragedy as well. It’s fitting that Billy Crystal kicked off the “In Memoriam” segment and paid tribute to the late Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle in a touching tribute that included many stars.
Reiner and his wife died in late December, and while their son Nick spends time in prison awaiting trial for their murder, Crystal took the stage along with many actors who starred in his films to talk about the director’s impact. Check out a photo from the moment below, with all the stars onstage together:
The stars of This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, Misery, and many other classics directed by Rob Reiner were represented onscreen as a large image of the famed director and his wife adorned the screen behind them. For those who weren’t able to catch all the talent onstage, here’s a quick rundown:
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- Christopher Guest
- Michael McKean
- Kathy Bates
- Meg Ryan
- Kiefer Sutherland
- Demi Moore
- Jerry O’Connell
- Wil Wheaton
- Annette Benning
- Mandy Patinkin
- Fred Savage
- Cary Elwes
- Carol Kane
- John Cusack
- Daphne Zuniga
- Kevin Pollak
It was a great way of honoring the director, after months of headlines detailing the events leading up to his tragic death. This included mentions that he was at a party hosted by Oscar’s host, Conan O’Brien, who delivered plenty of laughs throughout the night to offset this especially heavy but necessary moment.
To bring out the stars of his most beloved movies was not just a fitting tribute, it was a great show of just how much Rob Reiner impacted Hollywood throughout his long career. I’d like to believe that even with the tragic circumstances surrounding his story excluded from the equation, his eventual Hollywood tribute would’ve gone down in a similar fashion.
Rob Reiner’s tribute kicked off a lengthy in memoriam segment, which highlighted other notable figures in Hollywood who passed away. Rachel McAdams came out onstage to pay tribute to Diane Keaton, while Barbara Streisand came out to honor her former co-star Robert Redford. These were just a few of the amazing talents that left us in the past year, leaving a hole in Hollywood.
And while other notable actors like Catherine O’Hara didn’t get as large a tribute, they still heard thunderous applause in celebration for their work in Hollywood. Thus far, there hasn’t been any glaring outcry from the internet about people left off the list, so it feels this year got the job done better than previous ones.
The 2026 Academy Awards are almost over, though CinemaBlend will have plenty to say following the end of the event, and stuff to say about the winners and losers of the night. Stick with us for more on that and other television and movie news.