Celebrities Pay Tribute to Director

Across Hollywood and beyond, celebrities and fans are paying tribute to director and actor Rob Reiner, who was found dead along with his wife Michele on Sunday in their home.

The son of writer Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner first became known for his role as Meathead in the influential sitcom “All in the Family.” He went on to direct classic films including “Stand by Me,” “This Is Spinal Tap,” “When Harry Met Sally…” and “A Few Good Men.”

Christopher Guest, who starred in “This Is Spinal Tap,” and his wife Jamie Lee Curtis said in a statement, “Christopher and I are numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michelle 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. 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. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”

The late Norman Lear’s family wrote in a statement, “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.’”

John Cusack, who starring in Reiner’s film “The Sure Thing,” wrote on Twitter “Shocked by the death of Rob Reiner – a great man.”

Barack Obama wrote, “Together, he and his wife lived lives defined by purpose. They will be remembered for the values they championed and the countless people they inspired.”

Governor Gavin Newsom and his wife Jennifer Seibel Newsom said in a statement, “That empathy extended well beyond his films. Rob was a passionate advocate for children and for civil rights — from taking on Big Tobacco to fighting for marriage equality to serving as a powerful voice in early education. He made California a better place through his good works.”

Director Paul Feig wrote, “Rob was my true hero.”

Sean Astin, president of SAG-AFTRA, saluted Reiner as a union member and pillar of the creative community for more than a half century.

“Rob Reiner is one of the most significant figures in the history of film and television. The impact he made on American culture simply can’t be overstated. Tributes will pour in and the impossibly long list of genre defining films and indelible performances will play in our minds and hearts. Rob Reiner was a member of our union for nearly 60 years,” Astin said in a statement. “We send love and warmth to Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner’s families, friends and colleagues. Our entertainment community and audiences around the world will mourn deeply. On a personal note, so many of Mr. Reiner’s films and performances made me think, made me emotional and especially they made me laugh really hard. That’s how I will remember him.”

Reiner was a beloved figure in comedy circles, given his proud lineage and his indelible contributions to the form via such influential smashes as 1984’s “This Is Spinal Tap” and 1989’s “When Harry Met Sally.” Reiner was the son of Carl Reiner, who worked alongside Sid Caesar and Mel Brooks in the 1950s and ’60s and went on to create “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and many other comedy projects. Rob Reiner proved his chops as an actor with the success of “All in the Family,” which captured America’s generation gap as the turbulent late 1960s gave way to the Me decade.

“Rob Reiner consistently worked from a place of conviction and integrity. Together, he and Michele were a force — combining comedy, creativity, and public engagement into their shared endeavors. They were as committed to making a difference as they were to their careers, a rare combination that makes this loss feel all the more profound,” said Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y. “When visiting us to pay tribute to his father, Rob did so with reverence, humility, kindness and a steadfast, enthusiastic intellect in matters of comedy and humanity. We are grateful to have known them both and for the impact they had on all of us.”

Reiner’s hot streak as a helmer from the mid-1980s through mid-1990s is hard to top for movies that defined their eras. Fellow actors, writers and directors were quick to cite his films as seminal influences.

Paul Walter Hauser wrote, “Grieving the loss of my favorite director of all-time. A Few Good Men is THE reason I became an actor, and Rob’s filmography behind the camera is THE reason I wanted to direct and still do.” The actor went on to share a story about the time he met Reiner.