Nearly a year after his death, Rob Reiner was posthumously awarded an Emmy for his guest performance in the comedy-drama series “The Bear” — along with an emotional tribute for the actor-director.
“Last year, we lost another cherished legend, our beloved ‘Meathead,’ Rob Reiner,” a teary-eyed Jamie Lee Curtis told the audience as she closed the ceremony’s In Memoriam section.
“He was generous and kind and funny as hell and a friend to all,” she added. “We all miss Rob and Michele (Singer Reiner) and all those we lost this year.”
Reiner’s final Emmy win also set the new record for the longest gap between Emmy wins, Curtis said. He previously won 48 years ago for his performance in “All In the Family,” breaking the previous record held by his father, Carl Reiner.
The ceremony’s In Memoriam segment opened with moving tributes to actress Catherine O’Hara and country music superstar Dolly Parton.
Singer-songwriter Noah Kahan then performed a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” as images of performers, directors, writers and other entertainment industry leaders were projected on stage.
Among the figures honored were James Van Der Beek, Eric Dane, Tim Curry, Hayden Panettiere, Diane Ladd, Shelley Fabares, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Anthony Head, Ted Turner, Patricia Crowley, Bob Mackie and James Burrows.
Notably omitted from the segment was longtime action star Chuck Norris, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” actor Nicholas Brendon, “30 Rock” performer Grizz Chapman and actor-producer Patrick Muldoon, among others.
Dolly Parton tribute
Sally Field and Reba McEntire led an emotional tribute to Dolly Parton, who died in late August after “bravely facing a brief battle with cancer.”
“If there are truly angels on earth, then we just lost one, Dolly Parton,” Field told the audience at the Peacock Theater.
“It was my great, good fortune to have worked with Dolly in a film called ‘Steel Magnolias,’ and over the years I never stopped loving her though we lived very far apart,” Field continued. “I adored her from Day 1, how could you not?”
“She was genuine, and humble, supportive and blisteringly funny with a bawdy sense of humor that would send any rude guy looking for a place to hide.”
Field added that Parton’s philanthropic efforts made “a profound difference in the lives of so many.”
“God bless you, Dolly Parton, my friend,” she concluded. “I am not the only one on Earth that will love you forever and ever.”
Following Field’s tribute, country musician Reba McEntire — a frequent collaborator and close friend of Parton — performed a rendition of Parton’s 1983 song, “Appalachian Memories.”
Catherine O’Hara tribute
Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy and Dan Levy delivered a touching tribute to Catherine O’Hara, their late “Home Alone” and “Schitt’s Creek” co-star.
“You remember her as the forgetful mother, right?” Culkin said, referencing the plot of the “Home Alone” films. “She may have forgotten me — twice! But we will always remember her.”
“There are all kinds 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,” he continued. “She was my mom. She was our mom.”
Murphy noted how many of the memorable exchanges she has had with fans as a result of O’Hara’s work.
“These are only very few of the interactions I’ve been lucky enough to have that remind me how profoundly Catherine has impacted the world, and it’s because she brought us joy,” Murphy said. “It challenged anyone who heard it to join in and be as delighted as she was, and she spread that delight everywhere.”
To close, Levy added that one of the most important lessons he learned from O’Hara was to always “say yes” to new opportunities and challenges “both professionally and personally.”
“Say yes to her naming that wig,” Levy said. “Say yes to giving her space to experiment and create. It will amaze you on a daily basis, and it will change your life. Say yes to her dinner invites and her stories and her wisdom and her generosity.”
“Those are the things you will hold onto the tightest,” he said. “Always say yes to any opportunity to revel in the presence of greatness.”