Corey Feldman Shares His Thoughts on Being Left Out of Rob Reiner’s Oscars Tribute: “It Is What It Is”
During the 98th Academy Awards, a ceremony honoring the contributions of Rob Reiner and his late wife, Michele, many of Reiner’s colleagues gathered to pay tribute. However, one notable figure was absent from the onstage reunion: Corey Feldman, who starred in Reiner’s iconic 1986 film Stand by Me.
Feldman acknowledged his exclusion from the event, expressing a restrained reaction. “It is what it is,” he said. Reflecting on the moment, he stated, “Jerry and Wil did what had to be done.” He articulated his feelings to Entertainment Weekly, noting, “It was a fleeting moment, so I don’t feel like I missed much at all.” However, he wished that co-stars Jerry O’Connell and Wil Wheaton, along with others, could have shared their thoughts more personally during the tribute.
Despite his feelings about the reunion, Feldman expressed gratitude for the Academy’s decision to honor Rob Reiner’s legacy. The tribute also featured appearances from actors including Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Michael McKean, and Kiefer Sutherland, who collectively honored Reiner’s monumental impact on film.
Describing the event, Feldman remarked, “Personally, it felt a little bit like a family reunion I wasn’t invited to. Instead, I just want to say that I’m with the rest of us; we’re all very destroyed that things went down the way they did, losing Rob when we all thought he’d be joining us at some point for this tour. It’s a tragedy.”
Jerry O’Connell, River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, and Corey Feldman in ‘Stand by Me’ (1986) (Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Feldman emphasized the importance of honoring Reiner’s legacy, stating, “We all would’ve loved to be able to say goodbye in our own ways. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The best way we can say goodbye is honoring him and his work through these tours and interviews, encouraging people to acknowledge the history of his art and celebrate him one last time on a big screen.”
Feldman’s remarks come as Stand by Me returns to theaters for a limited one-week run beginning Friday, celebrating the film’s 40th anniversary.
Following the tragic deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner in December, their son, Nick Reiner, was arrested on charges related to their deaths. He has since entered a not guilty plea as he faces potential life imprisonment or the death penalty during the upcoming trial.
