Jamie Lee Curtis Breaks Down in Tears as She Honors Rob Reiner at the 2026 Emmys
Jamie Lee Curtis struggled to hold back tears as she remembered her late friend and The Bear co-star Rob Reiner during one of the most emotional moments of the 2026 Emmy Awards.
The actress took the stage during the ceremony’s “In Memoriam” segment on Monday, September 14, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, where she paid tribute to Reiner and the other members of the television community who died over the past year.
Her emotional appearance came just days after Reiner was posthumously honored with an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in The Bear. His win marked the longest gap between acting Emmy victories in the history of the awards — 48 years after his previous acting win for All in the Family in 1978.
Jamie Lee Curtis Remembers Rob Reiner
Before Curtis appeared onstage, Noah Kahan performed Simon & Garfunkel’s 1970 classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
Wearing a white suit, Kahan sang as images of actors, producers and other entertainment figures who died during the past year appeared in a tribute montage projected inside the theater.
Curtis then stepped forward to remember Reiner.
The actress became visibly emotional as she described the kind of person he had been, calling him generous, kind, extremely funny and “a friend to all.”
“He was generous and kind, and funny as hell, and a friend to all, and we all miss Rob and Michele, and all those we lost this year,” Curtis said.
Her words carried particular weight because Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, died in December 2025. Reiner was 78.
Curtis and Reiner had worked together on The Bear, where their professional relationship continued late into Reiner’s career. His posthumous Emmy win earlier this month brought another emotional moment, with Curtis among those present to honor him.
Reiner’s Emmy victory also created a remarkable piece of television history. His latest acting win came 48 years after his previous one, surpassing the 37-year record previously held by his father, comedy legend Carl Reiner.
A Year of Loss Remembered on the Emmy Stage
Reiner was among a long list of entertainment figures featured in the “In Memoriam” montage.
The tribute also remembered Hayden Panettiere, James Van Der Beek, Sam Neill, Eric Dane, Robert Duvall, Robert Carradine, Vincent Pastore, Tim Curry, Bob Mackie, Shelley Fabares, James Burrows and Ted Turner.
The segment offered a somber pause during a ceremony otherwise filled with celebrations, reunions and major television victories.
Not every late performer was included in the televised montage. Chuck Norris and Nicholas Brendon were notably absent, despite Brendon’s former Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz appearing together at this year’s ceremony for a reunion marking the show’s 30th anniversary.
The 2026 Emmys featured several such moments of remembrance, bringing together stars and former castmates to reflect on colleagues and friends who had left a lasting mark on television.
Catherine O’Hara Gets a Separate Tribute
Catherine O’Hara, who died in January 2026 at age 71, received a special tribute of her own before the main “In Memoriam” performance.
Her former on-screen children — Macaulay Culkin from Home Alone, along with Dan Levy and Annie Murphy from Schitt’s Creek — reunited onstage to remember the beloved actress and comedian. O’Hara’s career spanned five decades and included acclaimed work in both film and television.
Culkin, who played O’Hara’s son Kevin McCallister in the Home Alone films, described her not simply as a co-star but as a mother figure in his life.
“There are all types of words I could use to describe Catherine. She was encouraging. She was warm. She was funny, but the word that I think of is ‘Mom,’” Culkin said.
Levy and Murphy also shared their memories of O’Hara, whose work on Schitt’s Creek earned her two Emmy Awards and helped make her one of television comedy’s most beloved performers.
Their appearance gave the ceremony another deeply personal tribute before the broader “In Memoriam” montage began.
Noah Kahan’s Performance Added to the Emotion
Kahan’s performance of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” provided the musical backdrop for the remembrance segment.
Emmys producer Jesse Collins had previously explained that the song was personally meaningful to Kahan, who chose it because Paul Simon is one of his favorite artists.
Collins said the creative team focused on developing an arrangement that would do the song justice, describing Kahan as “such a pure musician” who had worked closely with the production team.
The combination of Kahan’s performance and the photographs of those who had died created the setting for Curtis’s emotional tribute to Reiner.
Dolly Parton Also Remembered at the 2026 Emmys
Dolly Parton, who died on August 25, 2026, at age 80, was honored separately from the main “In Memoriam” segment.
Her Steel Magnolias co-star Sally Field introduced the tribute, reflecting on the friendship they developed while working together on the 1989 film.
Reba McEntire then performed Parton’s “Appalachian Memories” with a live symphony, creating another of the night’s most emotional tributes.
The decision to give Parton a dedicated tribute rather than include her only in the montage reflected the enormous impact she had on both music and television.
Mariska Hargitay Hosts a Night of Reunions and Remembrance
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards were hosted by Mariska Hargitay, marking the first time in 15 years that a woman had hosted the annual ceremony. The event took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 14.
The audience included major stars such as Zendaya, Keke Palmer, Jon Hamm and Amy Poehler, while the ceremony mixed comedy and celebration with several emotional tributes.
Among the night’s other notable moments was the reunion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz.
But for Curtis, the evening ultimately became much more personal when she stood before the Emmy audience to remember Reiner.
Her voice breaking as she spoke about his kindness and humor made clear that, behind the Hollywood awards and television history, the moment was about saying goodbye to someone she had known and worked alongside.
“We all miss Rob and Michele, and all those we lost this year,” Curtis said.
It was a simple farewell — but one that left the weight of the loss unmistakable.