Given how many beloved celebrities the world lost over the last year, the “In Memoriam” section of the 2026 Oscars was bound to pack an emotional punch. Still, comedian, actor, and nine-time Oscars host Billy Crystal’s opening tribute to his longtime friend and collaborator Rob Reiner—to be followed by touching speeches by Rachel McAdams (about Catherine O’Hara and Diane Keaton) and Barbra Streisand (about Robert Redford)—was particularly heart-wrenching.
“I first met Rob Reiner in 1975, when I was cast as his best friend in an episode of All in the Family, and it went so well that Rob said, ‘You know, it was fun playing your best friend, why don’t we keep it going?’” said Crystal, before taking the audience through some of Reiner’s best-loved films—from The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally…to A Few Good Men. He went on, “My friend 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, and far more human. When Michele Singer entered his life, they were unstoppable. 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.”
Watch Crystal’s full speech about Rob and Michele Singer Reiner for yourself, below:
Perhaps the most sob-inducing moment of the tribute came when stars from the various movies of Reiner’s that Crystal mentioned in his speech took the stage and joined hands, reminding the audience of the extraordinary power that the late actor had to touch lives and create community.
