Actor Billy Crystal pays tribute to late Hollywood director Rob Reiner - “loss is immeasurable”
Actor Billy Crystal has said the loss of Hollywood director Rob Reiner is “immeasurable” as he paid tribute to his friend.
When Harry Met Sally star Billy Crystal was among Hollywood A-listers to pay tribute to the late Hollywood director, Rob Reiner, during the 2026 Oscars.
Reiner, known for films such as This Is Spinal Tap and A Few Good Men, was found dead along with his wife Michele Singer Reiner, in December, with the pair's son, Nick, denying their murders.
At the Oscars Crystal, who appeared in This Is Spinal Tap and was the male lead in When Harry Met Sally opposite Meg Ryan, said the couple’s loss was “immeasurable”. Having known Reiner since 1975, he said it was a “thrill to see him evolve from a great comic actor to a master storyteller”.
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"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 far better, in his eyes, far kinder, far funnier and far more human," he told the audience. "And when Michelle Singer entered his life, they were unstoppable."
He described Michelle as a “gifted photographer”, adding: “She not only produced films, but it was her energy that had them working tirelessly to fight social injustice in the country that they both love.”
Other actors who have been in Reiner’s films, including Crystal’s When Harry Met Sally co-star Meg Ryan, and Demi Moore, who starred in A Few Good Men, joined him during the tribute, with Crystal adding: “Their loss is immeasurable – and 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.”
Rob and Michele were found dead from apparent stab wounds in their home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, in December. Their 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, was arrested a few hours later, around 14 miles from the scene and taken into custody. He was later charged with two counts of first-degree murder.