The evening before Rob Reiner was discovered dead alongside his wife, Michele, in their California home, the acclaimed actor and director spent an hour chatting on the phone with Monty Python’s Eric Idle. “I always enjoyed his company,” Idle shared on X, noting that they’d known each other for 50 years. “He was telling me about filming at Stonehenge and his thoughts for the future. This is so awful. I shall miss him.”
The tributes shared in remembrance of Reiner, who was killed Sunday night, similarly emphasize both his genius and generosity, particularly in his willingness to share his time. Even the briefest interactions stuck with those who drew inspiration from his expansive filmography, which includes classics such as This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally…, Misery, A Few Good Men, and more.
“Grieving the loss of my favorite director of all-time,” actor Paul Walter Hauser shared in a lengthy Instagram post that recounted his first encounter with his biggest inspiration. It was at UCB theater in Los Angeles in 2010. “At the intermission, we spoke for maybe 5-10 minutes about how I had just moved to LA from Michigan. He spoke of how he enjoyed filming in Michigan, and he was kind enough to regale me with stories,” he said. “The guy just treated me with the friendliness and intimate details that few people of his stature would bother recounting to a total stranger.”
Hauser added: “I hate that Rob and his wife are gone from this world, but they sure as hell impacted me and countless others while here … There was and will never be anyone better, in my opinion. Sick to my stomach. Headed back to set. Holding him close as I do the gig that he inspired me to do.” On Bluesky, Patton Oswalt shared a similar account. “We talked for an hour about the movie and his career and then they shut off the cameras and we talked about movies for another hour,” he said, reflecting on his experience interviewing Reiner for the Criterion Collection’s This Is Spinal Tap release. “A delightful, unhurried genius.”
This Is Spinal Tap actor Harry Shearer described Reiner’s death as “unspeakable, the stuff of Greek tragedy,” in a statement via USA Today. Paul McCartney, who appeared in the film’s sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, released just three months ago, wrote, “He was such an upbeat, lovable man. Life can be so unfair and this tragedy proves it. His father, Carl Reiner, was a great humourist before him and Rob followed in his dad’s footsteps doing a terrific job making many great films. I will always have fond memories of Rob and the idea that he and his wife will no longer be in the world with us is heartbreaking.”
Reiner’s This Is Spinal Tap co-star Christopher Guest shared a statement via Deadline alongside his wife, Jamie Lee Curtis. The couple wrote that they were “numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michele Singer Reiner and our ONLY focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them.”
Rob and Michele Reiner died on Sunday, Dec. 14. Police are investigating their deaths as a homicide. Rolling Stone has confirmed that Reiner’s son, Nick, has been arrested and taken in custody in connection to the murders.
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“There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage and their global care for a world in crisis,” Guest and Curtis continued in their statement. On X, author Stephen King wrote, “I’m horrified and saddened by the death of Rob Reiner and Michele. Wonderful friend, political ally, and brilliant filmmaker (including 2 of mine). Rest in peace, Rob. You always stood by me.”
Their sentiments echo statements shared by political figures, including Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and more, who honored Reiner’s legacy as an activist through both direct community action and his voice as a filmmaker.
“I’m horrified hearing this terrible news. Absolutely devastated. I loved Rob. He was brilliant and kind, a man who made films of every genre to challenge himself as an artist,” said Misery star Kathy Bates, per Hollywood Reporter. “He also fought courageously for his political beliefs. He changed the course of my life.” Bates also remembered Michele Reiner as “a gifted photographer,” adding, “She shot my beautiful photos for the Misery campaign. My heart breaks for them both. My thoughts are with their family.”
Rita Wilson published a tribute on Instagram that celebrated Michele’s work as “an enormously talented photographer whose eye applied not only to what she captured on film but also to her own personal esthetic,” adding, “Her work as a producer focused on social justice and creating awareness of our world. She was wry, funny, opinionated but also reasonable and self reflective. She was so close to her sister and her family understanding the importance of close connection.”
Wilson worked with Reiner on The Story of Us and North. “Rob was a generous director who loved actors, because he was one himself. He gave actors freedom and trusted our choices. When we saw each other it was as if time was a continuous thread in a metaphorical needlepoint work that picked up where we left off,” she said. “His work as an actor, writer and director will live on, as will all the works he and Michele endeavored so hard to establish for our civil good. Our hearts go out to their families with the deepest of sorrow and love. Rob and Michelle, may their memories be eternal.”
The family of All in the Family creator Norman Lear shared a statement via Hollywood Reporter, saying, “The Lear Family is devastated by the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner. Norman often referred to Rob as a son, and their close relationship was extraordinary, to us and the world. Norman would have wanted to remind us that Rob and Michele spent every breath trying to make this country a better place, and they pursued that through their art, their activism, their philanthropy, and their love for family and friends. Lyn Lear had remained very close with them and said, ‘The world is unmistakably darker tonight, and we are left bereft.’”
Ron Howard, who was first linked to Reiner through Happy Days, shared, “Our careers and lives intersected often over the decades from Rob writing the pilot script for Happy Days and then as we each shifted from acting careers into directing and producing. He proved to be a superlative filmmaker, a supportive colleague and at all times a dedicated citizen. Rob will be missed on so many levels. My heart goes out to his family and his many close friends.”
Actress Mira Sorvino described Reiner as “a legend and a kind, brilliant man, a wonderful actor to work opposite on Hollywood, an iconic director,” adding, “His wife Michele was a lovely generous person- I wish I had been able to get to know her better. The world has lost two tremendous humans. He was so funny and intelligent – we had a great time shooting what could have been awkward scenes but his wit and warmth made all that go away. Talking with him on and off the set was a joy. This doesn’t seem possible. My deepest sorrow and condolences and prayers go out to their family.”
Those who didn’t get a chance to work with Reiner still regard him as a crucial influence. “What a huge loss. Rob Reiner was one of my favorite directors. He made some of the most formative movies for my generation,” Ben Stiller shared on X. “He came out form behind a huge comedic shadow of the great Carl Reiner and being a tv actor to being a a great director who made an incredible run of movies. Spinal Tap is one of the best comedies ever made – and the list goes on. He was a kind caring person who was really really funny. I didn’t know him well but was always a fan and I feel a real sadness for those who did, and his family.”
On Instagram, Josh Gad added, “He was one of the greatest directors of our time. He was a friend. He was simply a beautiful person. Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were two of the most kind and caring souls you could ever imagine. He cared so much for those who had no voices. This loss is devastating. I cannot express how much this hurts. Love you Rob and Michelle. Thank you for all you gave us.”
Filmmaker Paul Feig referred to Reiner as “my true hero” on X, sharing a photo they took together at Comic Con. “One of my most cherished pictures,” he said. “A true visionary titan and a lovely lovely person. One never knows if it’s proper to post during something as tragic as this. But I just want the world to know what so many of us know in the industry. Rob was the best.”
Cary Elwes, who starred as Westley in The Princess Bride, also turned to an old image to express his grief. On Instagram, he shared a photo from the set of the 1987 film that shows his chair positioned right next to Reiner’s. “No words,” he wrote in the caption.
Maria Shriver, a close friend whose kids were raised alongside the Reiner family, leaned on recent memories, like the dinner they had this past week. “They were in the best place in their lives: loving one another, loving their friends, their family, their country,” she shared on X. “They never gave up on our country. They wanted to make it better. They always, always wanted to make our world better, and they were willing to fight to make it the country they loved.”
Shriver added, “I loved them, and I knew they loved me, for any friend like that is such a gift. They gave me and all their friends that gift all the time. They loved their kids so much, and they never stopped trying to be really good parents. My love is with their family. I’m so sad for them. I’m devastated, gutted, shocked, stunned, and so deeply saddened, as are all of the people who loved them and who they loved. I hope people remember them as two deeply talented, kind, fun, loving, good, patriotic people who loved each other deeply.”
Reflecting on Reiner’s enduring impact and legacy, actress Sophia Bush shared, “Rob Reiner was an almost indescribably wonderful man. Kind, jovial, thoughtful, and generous. He shaped our industry of course, and more so the world around us, making films that centered empathy and humor. He made us more bold, willing to take risks for love. He used his massive audience and knowledge of how to tell stories to defend democracy, and stand for his neighbors, both near and far.”
She added, “Even when the cameras were off, he showed up. He was often first to say yes to the organizing work, showing up on zoom after zoom, in support of organizations making the world a better place. He offered his talents and gifts. He said YES in service of others. In the years I’ve been lucky enough to know him in those dedicated spaces, he has influenced and inspired me, for good. I am utterly heartbroken at his and Michele’s deaths, and I am holding his loved ones in my heart today.”
From Rolling Stone US
