Jamie Lee Curtis broke down onstage during the 2026 Emmys “In Memoriam” segment as she honored slain filmmaker Rob Reiner.
The 67-year-old actress took the microphone at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater on Monday night immediately after singer Noah Kahan finished his rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s 1970 classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Kahan, dressed in a white suit, had accompanied a slideshow of late actors, producers and industry figures who died in the past year.
Curtis visibly wept as she spoke about Reiner, who was killed in December 2025 alongside his wife, Michele, in a stabbing at their home. “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,” she said.
The tribute capped a somber stretch of the telecast that also recognized Hayden Panettiere, James Van Der Beek, Robert Duvall, Robert Carradine, Vincent Pastore, Tim Curry, Bob Mackie, and Ted Turner among the departed.
Emmys producer Jesse Collins said ahead of the broadcast that Kahan selected the song for deeply personal reasons. “Paul Simon is one of his favorite artists,” Collins said. “So it was really about coming up with an arrangement that does the song justice.” The producer continued, “He’s such a pure musician, and he’s worked really hard with our team to create something I think people are going to love.”
Reiner’s death in late 2025 shocked Hollywood. The 78-year-old director, known for landmark films including “When Harry Met Sally…” and “A Few Good Men,” and his wife Michele were fatally stabbed in their home. The double homicide drew intense media coverage and left the entertainment community reeling as it headed into awards season.
The In Memoriam segment was not the only emotional tribute of the evening. Catherine O’Hara received her own dedicated recognition before Kahan’s performance, with tributes from three actors who played her children on screen. Macaulay Culkin, her “Home Alone” son, appeared alongside Dan Levy and Annie Murphy from “Schitt’s Creek.”
“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. He added, “She wasn’t just a wife and mother to Beau and Matthew and Luke, she was my mom.”
Dolly Parton was also saluted separately from the main montage. Sally Field, her “Steel Magnolias” co-star, led that tribute, which included Reba McEntire singing Parton’s composition “Appalachian Memories.”
Mariska Hargitay, 61, presided over the evening as host, marking the first time a woman had anchored the Emmys in 15 years. The audience at the Peacock Theater included Zendaya, Keke Palmer, Jon Hamm and Amy Poehler.
The previous year’s In Memoriam had featured Lainey Wilson performing Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High on That Mountain” to honor losses including Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Ozzy Osbourne, Michelle Trachtenberg and Food Network personality Anne Burrell.