Rob Reiner received a moving tribute at the Oscars, with stars gathering on stage to honor the late director’s remarkable career. The moment celebrated his enduring impact on the film industry and the countless lives he’s touched, while highlighting the stories and performances that have made his work unforgettable.
Billy Crystal Led The Rob Reiner Tribute
Janet Gough / AFF-USA.COM / MEGA
On March 15, the Academy Awards paid a tribute to Reiner, led by his longtime friend and “When Harry Met Sally” star, Billy Crystal.
Crystal began the 4-minute tribute by saying he met the director in 1975 on the set of the sitcom “All in the Family,” where he played the role of Reiner’s character’s best friend. The actor then went on to mention some of the director’s most notable films, while stills from the movies were shown.
“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,” Crystal noted.
“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,” Crystal concluded.
The Academy’s Tribute To Michele Singer Reiner
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA
In the segment, Crystal also honored Reiner’s wife, Michele Singer Reiner, who was a producer and professional photographer. The couple married in 1989 after meeting on the set of “When Harry Met Sally,” and as Crystal noted, their partnership was “unstoppable.”
“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,” Crystal said.
Per Inside Philanthropy, the Reiners co-founded the American Foundation of Equal Rights (AFER) in 2009. AFER led the effort to fight against Proposition 8, a California ballot initiative passed in 2008 to ban same-sex marriage. In 2013, a Supreme Court decision restored marriage equality in California, setting the stage for the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015.
The 17 Stars Who Paid Tribute To Rob And Michele Reiner
Many stars from Rob Reiner’s previous movies gather to honor him at the Oscars after his tragic passing. pic.twitter.com/IUL62ONfVz— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 16, 2026
Toward the end of the tribute, 16 actors and actresses from Reiner’s movies joined Crystal on stage to honor the beloved director. They held hands and took a moment of silence while the audience stood from their seats and applauded.
The list of stars included Crystal and Meg Ryan (When Harry Met Sally), Christoper Guest and Michael McKean (Thi
