Hollywood elite pays Oscar memorial tribute to Rob Reiner, Robert Redford

LOS ANGELES – Hollywood paused for a heartfelt tribute at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, remembering stars who passed away over the past year. Special remembrances were dedicated to two iconic figures who left a lasting mark both in front of and behind the camera: Rob Reiner and Robert Redford.

The tributes to Reiner and Redford, whose careers overlapped but largely followed separate paths, became the emotional centerpiece of the Oscars.

Remembering Rob Reiner

The tribute to Reiner was especially poignant following his tragic death at 78. He and his wife, Michelle, 70, were found fatally stabbed in their West Los Angeles home on December 14. Their son, Nick Reiner, has been charged in the case and pleaded not guilty.

Billy Crystal, a nine-time Oscar host who starred in Reiner’s beloved romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally, delivered a moving tribute.

"My friend Rob’s movies will last a lifetime because they capture what makes us laugh, cry, and aspire to be better – kinder, funnier, and more human," Crystal said.

Crystal was joined on stage by Harry Met Sally co-star Meg Ryan and several other performers from Reiner’s films, including The Princess Bride, The Sure Thing, and A Few Good Men.

"Rob often said it meant everything to him that his work resonated with you," Crystal added.

Reiner’s tribute opened the Oscars’ annual In Memoriam segment, which also honored other recently departed film greats, including Diane Keaton, Diane Ladd, Catherine O’Hara, Val Kilmer, Graham Greene, and Robert Duvall.

Honoring Robert Redford

The segment concluded with Barbra Streisand, 83, honoring Redford, her co-star in the 1973 romantic drama The Way We Were. She remembered him as “an intellectual cowboy who blazed his own trail” and performed a brief stanza from the film’s theme song, marking her first live Oscars performance in 13 years.

Redford, who passed away in September at 89, was a legendary actor and director, founding the Sundance Film Festival and championing independent film. He earned acclaim for films including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, Barefoot in the Park, Out of Africa, All the President’s Men, and The Candidate. While he never won an acting Oscar, his directorial debut Ordinary People won both Best Picture and Best Director in 1980.

From “Meathead” to Master Filmmaker

Reiner rose to fame as Mike “Meathead” Stivic on the 1970s television comedy All in the Family, playing the liberal son-in-law to Archie Bunker. He later became a celebrated director with films such as This is Spinal Tap, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, Misery, and A Few Good Men.

Beyond entertainment, Reiner and his wife were active in Democratic politics, credited by Crystal as a “driving force” behind the campaign that led to the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.

"I first met Rob when he was cast as Meathead’s friend in a 1975 episode of All in the Family," Crystal recalled. "I was thrilled to see him grow from a great comic actor to a master storyteller." 

-Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los AngelesEditing by Nick Zieminski/Reuters