A few weeks ago, it was revealed that ‘Freaky Friday’ star Jamie Lee Curtis would become the inaugural recipient of the Michele and Rob Reiner Champion for Change Award during the Children’s Institute’s Cape & Gown Gala. Talking about receiving the honour in the coming month, Curtis opened up about the award and how much she misses the ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ director and his wife, with whom she had shared a close bond for decades.
Jamie Lee Curtis remembers Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner ahead of the Cape & Gown Gala
During one of her latest interviews with The Hollywood Reporter, the actress talked about attending the gala, receiving the inaugural award, and how much she misses the Reiners. She also added that she is hoping to look forward to the upcoming event as a celebration of the director and photographer’s lives and the things they did. “Rob and Michele’s [lives are] celebratory. They would not want this [event] to be morbid and funeral-like. It has to be a celebration. So, I’m going to suit up, show up, do my thing, stand there in community, and say thank you to them,” she commented.Curtis also mentioned how much she misses the couple and how they impacted many different circles of people. “It’s been an emotional day because I’ve been talking about my relationship with them and talking about them in the past, and it’s only nine months later. It’s been difficult but important because we just want to carry on their work,” she mentioned.
About Jamie Lee Curtis’ friendship with Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner
During the interview, she also looked back on their time together and how her friendship with the couple blossomed over the years. She revealed that they were extremely close, to the point where she had her wedding ceremony in their home.Recalling the moment, Curtis shared, “Rob was the best man. My late sister Kelly was my maid of honour. So we are close. Rob is our daughter Annie’s godfather. When Michele married Rob, she and Rob became my daughter’s godparents. We have a closeness, of course.” Curtis was also invited to the 2026 Emmy Awards to speak about the director during the tribute section of the awards ceremony.
About the Michele and Rob Reiner Champion for Change Award
According to an official statement on the Children’s Institute’s page, the award celebrates the Reiners’ “lifelong commitment to improving the lives of children and families and strengthening communities across Los Angeles, throughout California, and beyond.” The award was conceptualised and created with guidance from the couple’s children, Jake and Romy Reiner, as well as CEO Martine Singer, who was Michele’s sister. honouringWhen the award was first announced, Curtis issued a statement to the outlet, discussing the Reiners’ philanthropic efforts over the years. She had stated, “They didn’t just create together. They lived a life of service, building something greater than themselves and giving so much to the world around them. And that is something worth honoring again and again.” She continued, “The world needs so much more of what they gave us: their love, their courage, and their joy. I am forever grateful to carry a small part of their legacy forward.”The Cape & Gown Gala, where the actress will be honored with the inaugural title, will be held on November 8.