Rob Reiner was honoured during the Oscars on Sunday night, but a string of major stars, including James Van Der Beek and Brigitte Bardot, were missing from the segment
Dozens of major screen stars were missing from the in memoriam segment of The Oscars this year. Each year, the Academy pays tribute to famous faces who have died since the last award show, and this year was no different.
The ceremony was paused to pay a n extensive tribute to the late Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, following their tragic murders in December 2025. With an illustrious career as one of Hollywood’s most celebrated film directors and producers responsible for some of the most memorable films of the 80s, 90s, and beyond, the Academy went to great lengths to honour the beloved director.
Film posters of some of Reiner’s most loved hits including When Harry Met Sally and Spinal Tap were shown on stage, as his best friend Billy Crystal took to the microphone.
He was then joined by by various stars who had appeared in those projects Meg Ryan, representing When Harry Met Sally; Kathy Bates, representing Misery; Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Fred Savage and Carol Kane, representing The Princess Bride; Demi Moore, Kiefer Sutherland, and Kevin Pollak for A Few Good Men; Christopher Guest and Michael McKean for This is Spinal Tap; Annette Bening for The American President; John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga for The Sure Thing; and Jerry O’Connell and Wil Wheaton for Stand By Me.
Reiner and his wife were found dead from stab wounds at their Los Angeles residence on December 14, 2025, and their son, Nick Reiner, has subsequently been charged with their deaths and entered a not guilty plea.
“I met Mr Rob Reiner when I was cast as his best friend in an episode of All in the Family,” said Crystal, “and it went so well that Rob said, ‘It was fun playing your best friend. Why don’t we keep it going?’ “And it was a thrill to see him evolve from a great comic actor to a master storyteller,” he continued, running through his filmography, including This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, Misery and more.
Crystal added: “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 …
“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.”
However, many people watching the ceremony noticed that several major faces were not included in more general in meorium section. Viewers saw tributes to Catherine O’Hara and Diane Keaton, as well as Robert Redford. Other celebs honoured included Robert Duvall, Val Kilmer and Claudia Cardinale.
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However, Brigitte Bardot, who died aged 91 in December last year, was not honoured. Bardot had previously shunned the limelight and became known for her continued animal rights activism and far-right political stance. During a tribute at the César awards in February, Brigitte’s name was met with boos from the crowd.
Indian actor Dharmendra, who died last year after starring in over 300 Hindi films, was also absent from the memorial segment. As was Bud Cort, who was best known for starring in Harold and Maude in 1971.
Surprisingly, Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues’ icon James Van Der Beek, who died in February this year after battling cancer, was not included. X-Men actor Eric Dane, who died on February 19 from respiratory failure, was not featured in the segment.
British legend Prunella Scales, known for Fawlty Towers and taking on the role of Queen Elizabeth II in A Question of Attribution, was also missing, five months after the actress died aged 93. UK stars who were recognised at the ceremony included Terence Stamp, Tom Stoppard and Pauline Collins.
However, fans were pretty vocal about their shock over people not being included. One said: “If the Oscars can find ten minutes for an opening skit, they can find five seconds for a photo of Eric Dane. Leaving him out just because he did more TV than movies is such a tired, elitist excuse.”
“Maybe next year? Not sure when the cutoff was,” said another. While a third penned: “Eric Dane and James Van Der Beek? ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING. These men weren’t just actors; they were the faces of an entire generation of television and cinema. To exclude them from the In Memoriam is a slap in the face to their families and millions of fans.”
At the event, held in Hollywood, Billy Crystal led the tribute to Rob, whom he had known for years and had appeared with in the film When Harry Met Sally. Billy called Rob “brilliant” and shouted out his top films, including This Is Spinal Tap and Stand By Me. The actor choked up as he spoke, his voice breaking as he recalled his time with Rob on When Harry Met Sally.
“My friend Rob’s movies will last a lifetime,” Billy said. He added that when his wife Michele entered his life, Rob became “unstoppable”. Billy described Rob and Michele as the “driving force” behind marriage equality in the US and said, “their loss is immeasurable”.
Shortly before all of Rob’s friends took to the stage, Billy concluded with: “For those of us who had the pleasure of working with him and loving him, all we can say is: Buddy, we had fun storming the castle.”
But despite several famous faces being missing, fans instantly took to X, previously known as Twitter, to share their emotions during the segment. One said: “Well damn, this the saddest In Memoriam we had in a minute.”
“This year’s In Memoriam segment of the Oscars feels like I’m actually at a funeral,” said a second, adding: “I’m surprised how long the In Memoriam section is but I actually like that. It’s better than speeding through it.”
“They finally got the In Memoriam right, this is how you pay tribute,” exclaimed a third. Another commented: “Ok. I’m a bawling sobbing mess during this In Memoriam segment. People whose movies comforted me over the years and brought me joy and warmth.”
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