The 2026 Oscars put on one of the most moving In Memoriam segments in its history to honor the numerous Hollywood heavyweights lost over the past year.
When Harry Met Sally star Billy Crystal opened the emotional segment with a special tribute to beloved director Rob Reiner, who was found stabbed to death, along with his wife Michele Singer Reiner, in their Los Angeles home in December 2025. Their son, Nick, has been charged with their murders and pleaded not guilty.
Crystal shared a heartfelt message about the filmmaker. “My friend Rob Reiner’s films will last for a lifetime, 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,” he said.
“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, all we can say is, buddy, what fun we had storming the castle.”
He was reunited on stage with his When Harry Met Sally co-star Meg Ryan, as well as other stars from Reiner’s films: The Princess Bride’s Mandy Patinkin, A Few Good Men’s Kiefer Sutherland, This is Spinal Tap’s Michael McKean and Misery’s Kathy Bates.
There were 17 stars on stage for the tribute, all of whom had worked with Reiner during his career. They included This is Spinal Tap star Christopher Guest, Stand By Me’s Jerry O’Connell and Wil Wheaton, The Princess Bride’s Fred Savage, Cary Elwes and Carol Kane, A Few Good Men’s Demi Moore and Kevin Pollak, The American President’s Annette Bening and finally, The Sure Thing stars John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga.
A screen above the stage played a slideshow of other high-profile figures, including Robert Redford, The Godfather legend Robert Duvall, Top Gun’s Val Kilmer, Diane Ladd and British actor Terrence Stamp.
Rachel McAdams then took the stage to honor legends Diane Keaton and Catherine O’Hara. Keaton died in October 2025 from pneumonia after a sudden decline in health; O’Hara died in January from a pulmonary embolism.
Beginning with “my fellow Canadian Catherine O’Hara,” McAdams remembered the Beetlejuice actor as someone “who made us laugh until we cried.” McAdams then continued with a heartfelt tribute to “the icon Diane Keaton.”
Listing Keaton’s earliest and most notable movies: Annie Hall, The Godfather, Reds, McAdams added of her The Family Stone co-star: “For over 50 years, luminous on-screen and indelible in life, believe me when I say there isn’t an actress of my generation who is not inspired by and enthralled with her absolute singularity. She wore so many hats, literally and figuratively: actress, artist, author, activist, but no hat more important to her than being mother to her two children. She meant so much to so many of us.”
A surprise appearance by Barbra Streisand to honor her late The Way We Were co-star, Redford, closed out the In Memoriam segment. Redford died in his sleep in September 2025.
“He was a brilliant, subtle actor, and we had a wonderful time playing off each other because we never quite knew what the other one was going to do in the scene. And I’m thrilled The Way We Were is considered a classic love story,” the Broadway legend said.
“Now Bob had real backbone on and off the screen. He spoke up to defend freedom of the press, protect the environment, and encouraged new voices at his Sundance Institute. He was thoughtful and bold. I called him an intellectual cowboy, who blazed his own trail, and won the Academy Award for Best Director,” Streisand added, going on to launch into a heartwarming performance of the 1973 film’s title track.
The segment drew strong reactions online from those watching.
“This has to be one of the longest ‘In Memoriam’ segments in #Oscars history. And rightfully so,” one person wrote on X, with a second agreeing, “This is so sad I’m a mess.”
“In memoriam this year is doing irreparable psychic damage to me,” a third declared, while a fourth wrote: “This in memoriam is gonna make me email my therapist.”
“Seeing how many people were in the In Memoriam section was ROUGH,” another commented.
Speaking to Variety ahead of Sunday’s ceremony, Oscars showrunner Raj Kapoor pulled back the curtain on the intricate task of crafting the In Memoriam segment.
“It’s everything from graphic design to titles to placement, because it all matters,” Kapoor said. “Who follows who, where those beats happen — it’s very nuanced. The team that puts together the film is almost working all the way up to the show because there are so many changes and revisions. It’s a chance for people to say goodbye. It’s a chance for them to see some of their favorite people one more time, and it’s a memory. We don’t take it lightly.”
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