Originally appeared on E! Online
Rob Reiner is living on in the hearts of Hollywood’s stars.
At the Critics Choice Awards 2026, host Chelsea Handler took a moment to eulogize the Standby by Me director and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, who were found dead in their homes Dec. 14. (Their son Nick Reiner, 32, has been charged with their murders.)
After the Chelsea Lately alum bestowed Adam Sandler as the “nicest guy in Hollywood,” she quickly amended her take to reflect on how that was actually a superlative Reiner had earned among his peers.
“Anyone who ever spent time with Rob Reiner knows that the minute that you met him, he felt like an old friend,” Handler said during the Jan. 4 ceremony at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. When you were in a conversation with him, he was present, he was focused and he was funny, and he would ask you tons of questions, whether you were discussing politics or film or the latest beauty trends—he was all in.”
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And she experienced that firsthand.
“After I sent him a text thanking him for dinner a few months ago,” she recalled, “he texted me back and said, ‘We had so much fun with you last night. Thanks for explaining so much about plastic surgery. It was very edifying.’”
Handler emphasized how Rob and Michelle “were tireless in their efforts to so many important causes, all stemming from one basic idea decency” noting those values are those we need more of. She added, “So let’s use tonight as a reminder of that decency and as a reminder of everything Rob and Michelle represented and fought so hard for.”
The crowd, which included Adam, Jean Smart and Delroy Lindo were visibly touched by the moment honoring the legendary director, but it is far from the only way he has been honored since the tragedy occurred late last year. Reiner’s family, friends and former colleagues have continued to emphasize the impact he had in his 78 years.
“Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master storyteller,” Reiner’s longtime friends including Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Albert Brooks and Larry David, wrote in a letter to the Associated Press on Dec. 16. “There is no other director who has his range. From comedy to drama to ‘mockumentary’ to documentary he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films.”
Similarly, Meg Ryan, who starred in Reiner’s