The 2026 Emmy Awards, held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, set aside its usual celebration to remember three towering figures in entertainment who died over the past year: Dolly Parton, Rob Reiner and Catherine O’Hara.
Sally Field, Parton’s co-star in “Steel Magnolias,” delivered the evening’s most personal remarks. Parton died Aug. 25 at 80 after what her representatives described as a brief battle with cancer. She died peacefully in Nashville, Tenn., surrounded by loved ones at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
“If there are truly angels on earth, then we just lost one, Dolly Parton,” Field told the audience.
Field, 79, said she had not fully appreciated Parton’s stature while they worked together.
“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 said. “I adored her from day one, 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 went on to praise Parton’s influence beyond music.
“Not just as an artist, but as a human … She was a humanitarian who’s contributions had made a profound difference in the lives of so many in her home state of Tennessee, and across our country,” Field said. “God bless you, Dolly Parton my friend. I am not the only one on earth that will love you forever and ever.”
Following Field’s tribute, Reba McEntire, dressed in a sparkling white gown, performed Parton’s 1983 song “Appalachian Memories.”
Remembering Rob Reiner
Jamie Lee Curtis paid tribute to director Rob Reiner, who died in December alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, as Noah Kahan led the audience in a rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
“Last year we lost another cherished legend, our beloved ‘Meathead,’ Rob Reiner,” Curtis said. “He was generous and kind and funny as hell and a friend to all.”
The Reiners’ 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, was indicted last month on two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances that make him eligible for the death penalty.
Curtis also noted that Reiner had received a posthumous Emmy for his guest role in “The Bear” during last week’s Creative Arts Emmys.
“He now holds the record of 48 years for the longest gap between acting Emmys, which was previously held by his father Carl Reiner at 37 years,” Curtis said through tears.
Honoring Catherine O’Hara
Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy and Dan Levy remembered Catherine O’Hara, his “Home Alone” co-star, who died in January at 71 following a brief illness.
“There are all kinds of words I could use to describe Catherine,” Culkin said. “She was encouraging, she was warm, she was funny. But the word that I think of is mama.”
Culkin closed his remarks with a personal appeal to viewers.
“By the way, call your mother tonight. For real,” he said.
