Rob Reiner won his third Emmy on September 6, nearly nine months after his death.
The late actor and filmmaker received Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for playing restaurant consultant Albert Schnurr in season four of The Bear. Presenters Wendi McLendon-Covey and David Alan Grier accepted the award on his behalf as the audience at the Peacock Theater stood and applauded.
Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, died in December 2025 at ages 78 and 70. Their son Nick Reiner has been indicted on two counts of murder with special circumstances in connection with their deaths and has pleaded not guilty.
The Emmy came 48 years after Reiner’s previous acting win for All in the Family in 1978. That is now the longest gap between acting Emmy victories, passing a record previously held by his father, Carl Reiner.
The Audience Stood When Reiner’s Name Was Announced
Standing O for the late Rob Reiner, who won Guest Actor in A Comedy Series for The Bear #emmys pic.twitter.com/MX2t1mL7xN
— Gerrad Hall (@gerradhall) September 7, 2026
Reiner won for “Tonnato,” the ninth episode of The Bear‘s fourth season. The Television Academy lists the performance as his eighth career nomination and third Emmy victory.
His fellow nominees were Michael J. Fox and Brett Goldstein for Shrinking, Hamish Linklater for Widow’s Bay, Christopher McDonald for Hacks and Connor Storrie for hosting Saturday Night Live.
PEOPLE reported that McLendon-Covey and Grier accepted the trophy while the audience gave Reiner a lengthy standing ovation. Jamie Lee Curtis, who also appeared on The Bear, was among those in the room.
Jamie Lee Curtis Encouraged Him to Take the Role
Reiner appeared in three episodes as Albert, a consultant who begins working with Ebraheim, played by Edwin Lee Gibson, as The Original Beef’s sandwich window becomes increasingly successful.
He almost did not take the job. Reiner told PEOPLE in 2025 that he called longtime friend Jamie Lee Curtis after being approached about the series. Curtis had already appeared on The Bear as Donna Berzatto and encouraged him to accept.
“She said, ‘Oh, it’s so much fun. You should do it,’” Reiner recalled. He later said he enjoyed being able to arrive on set, perform and leave the larger production responsibilities to creator Christopher Storer.
Albert spends much of his three-episode run working with Ebra on ways to expand the sandwich business. By “Tonnato,” the episode submitted for Emmy consideration, he is helping move the idea of franchising The Original Beef forward.
His 48-Year Gap Passed Carl Reiner’s Record
Reiner previously won two acting Emmys for Michael “Meathead” Stivic on All in the Family. His first came in 1974, followed by another in 1978.
His next acting victory did not arrive until 2026. The 48 years between the 1978 and 2026 trophies set a new record for the longest span between acting Emmy wins.
Carl Reiner previously held the mark. The Television Academy records his 1958 supporting actor victory for Caesar’s Hour and his 1995 Outstanding Guest Actor win for playing Alan Brady on Mad About You, a gap of 37 years.
Rob Reiner’s victory was also the first posthumous Emmy for an on-camera acting performance since Raúl Juliá won in 1995 for The Burning Season.
‘The Bear’ Kept Albert in Its Final Season
Reiner died before season five of The Bear was filmed, and he does not appear onscreen in the show’s final season. Albert remains part of Ebra’s franchise storyline through phone calls in which viewers never hear his side of the conversation.
In the series finale, Ebra calls Albert after getting approval to move ahead with expanding The Original Beef. “Albert, we are in business,” he tells him before promising to send over the paperwork.
Albert’s response is not heard. Ebra listens, then answers, “As you wish,” borrowing the line spoken repeatedly by Cary Elwes’ Westley in The Princess Bride, which Reiner directed in 1987.
The finale premiered in June. Three months later, the Television Academy awarded Reiner his third Emmy for the three-episode Bear role that introduced Albert the season before.