Rob Reiner‘s legacy will live on through his famous friends, many of whom have come together to release a statement about his death. Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer, were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday, December 14.
The tribute was signed by Billy Crystal and Janice Crystal, Albert Brooks and Kimberly Brooks, Martin Short, Alan Zweibel and Robin Zweibel, Larry David and Ashley Underwood, Barry Levinson and Diana Levinson, and James Costos and husband Michael Smith.
“Going to the movies in a dark theater filled with strangers having a common experience, laughing, crying, screaming in fear, or watching an intense drama unfold is still an unforgettable thrill,” the statement, issued to Associated Press, began. “Tell us a story audiences demand of us. Absorbing all he had learned from his father Carl and his mentor Norman Lear, Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master story teller. There is no other director who has his range. From comedy to drama to ‘mockumentary’ to documentary he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films.”
The group continued, “His comedic touch was beyond compare, his love of getting the music of the dialogue just right, and his sharpening of the edge of a drama was simply elegant. For the actors, he loved them. For the writers he made them better. His greatest gift was freedom. If you had an idea, he listened, he brought you into the process. They always felt they were working as a team. To be in his hands as a film maker was a privilege but that is only part of his legacy.”
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To conclude the statement, they wrote, “Rob was also a passionate, brave citizen, who not only cared for this country he loved, he did everything he could to make it better and with his loving wife Michele, he had the perfect partner. Strong and determined, Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens… They were a special force together-dynamic, unselfish and inspiring. We were their friends, and we will miss them forever. There is a line from one of Rob’s favorite films, It’s a Wonderful Life, ‘Each man’s life touches so many other lives, and when he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?’ You have no idea.”
Rob and Michele were married in 1989 and had three children. Their son Nick has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special allegation of using a knife, per the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Nick, who has been to rehab more than a dozen times and has openly spoken about his past addiction struggles, is currently being held without bail and his arraignment will be scheduled for a later date. Prosecutors have not said if they will seek the death penalty, according to CNN.
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