Billy Crystal, Albert Brooks, Larry David and other notable names paid tribute to slain Hollywood couple Rob and Michele Reiner, praising the duo as a “special force” in a joint statement.
The couple’s famous friends — including Billy and Janice Crystal, Albert and Kimberly Brooks, Martin Short, Alan and Robin Zweibel, Larry David and Ashley Underwood, Marc Shaiman and Lou Mirabal, Barry and Diana Levinson and Ambassador James Costos and Michael Smith — issued a poignant statement in the wake of the Reiners’ murders.
“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 letter, published by AP News, said. “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.”
As the statement went on, the group praised Reiner’s comedic touch, noting it 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,” the message added. “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.”
Reiner was also praised for his social activism, with his friends applauding him as “a passionate, brave citizen, who not only cared for this country he loved, he did everything he could to make it better.”
According to the group, Reiner had the “perfect partner” in Michele, who shared the beloved filmmaker’s political beliefs.
“Strong and determined, Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens,” the letter shared. “They were a special force together-dynamic, unselfish and inspiring. We were their friends, and we will miss them forever.”
Before signing off the note, Reiner’s pals called out a line from one of the director’s favorite films, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which read: “Each man’s life touches so many other lives, and when he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”
They concluded with a somber: “You have no idea.”
Crystal and company’s statement comes two days after word broke that Rob and Michele were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home. The couple’s son, Nick Reiner, was arrested not long after they were discovered deceased and was charged on Tuesday with two counts of murder in the first degree.
Nick, who struggled for years with drug addiction, mental illness, homelessness and frequent violent behavior, reportedly got into a loud argument with his parents at a Christmas party held Saturday night at comedian Conan O’Brien’s home. He’s since retained famed defense attorney Alan Jackson, who noted that his client was not present at a Tuesday hearing due to the fact he had “not been medically cleared.”
