The late Rob Reiner was honored by his friend and star of “When Harry Met Sally…,” Billy Crystal, in an emotional tribute during the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 15.
As Billy made his way to the stage, he offered a detailed speech about Rob and his legacy in film.
Billy Crystal Honors Rob Reiner at 2026 Oscars
“I first met Rob in 1975,” Billy said before calling the late director and friend a “master storyteller.”
“Audiences lined up to see his funny, charming films,” the actor said as he fired off several of Rob’s classics and the stars who performed their memorable roles in the beloved director’s films, including Kathy Bates of “Misery” and Jack Nicholson of “A Few Good Men.”
“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,” Billy added before saying that Rob and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were “unstoppable” and that their loss has been “miserable.”
“It meant everything to him that his work meant something to you,” Billy added.
Stars Join Billy Crystal on the Oscars Stage to Honor Rob Reiner
Many of the actors to have starred in Rob’s films joined Billy on the stage as he ended his tribute, including Michael McKean, Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Demi Moore, Mandy Patinkin, Carol Kane and Jerry O’Connell.
Rob worked with Billy in the 1989 romcom alongside actress Meg Ryan, marking one of the director’s most celebrated films in his 50-year career.
The famed director wasn’t just colleagues with Billy and Meg; he was also a personal friend with both of the actors.
Around the time of the 25th anniversary of the premiere of “When Harry Met Sally…,” Billy spoke with the Hollywood Reporter about how so much of his and Meg’s characters in the film emulated the friendship he had with Rob in real life.
“That was so personal to us, because many of the things that Harry and Sally did in the movie, Rob and I did as friends, which we just talked about, and Nora [Ephron] was able to work into the script,” Billy told the outlet. “That bonding was very much Rob and I.”
Rob Reiner & Wife Michele Singer Reiner Met on the Set of ‘When Harry Met Sally…’
Reiner famously met and fell in love with his wife, Michele, during the filming of “When Harry Met Sally…” In an interview on the “Double Date with Marlo Thomas & Phil Donahue” podcast, Rob and Michele shared details about how Rob saw her from afar as she stood with his industry friends. He later joined his friends for dinner, where he and Michele became acquainted.
During the podcast, the couple spoke about how incompatible they were when they first met — especially because Michele was a cigarette smoker and Rob was not a fan. Nonetheless, the pair couldn’t resist the natural feelings that brewed between them, leading to a marriage that lasted more than 30 years before they were both murdered in December 2025, People reported.
“It just clicked, and yeah, we never looked back,” Michele explained on the podcast. “I mean, seriously, I never had any doubts about it.”
Within months of meeting on set, Rob and Michele tied the knot while vacationing in Hawaii. They used a fan who complimented them on the beach as their witness.
Rob and Michele were happily married until they were both killed in a double homicide on December 14, 2025. The couple was found with multiple stab wounds in their Brentwood home in California. Rob’s son Nick Reiner has since been charged with two first-degree murders in the deaths of his parents.
Nick pleaded not guilty on February 23, the BBC reported. His next court date is scheduled for April 29.
