Tributes from celebrities and fans worldwide are continuing to pour in for legendary Hollywood filmmaker Rob Reiner. Reiner and his wife, photographer and film producer Michele Singer, were found dead on Dec. 14 at their home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Their son Nick Reiner was taken into custody after the deaths and is being held without bail, according to the Associated Press.
Celebrities and fans are paying tribute to the couple across social media and elsewhere.
Actor Kevin Bacon, 67, also known for his role in A Few Good Men, shared an emotional post on Instagram about his time with Reiner and expressed that he was “over the moon” to get the role of Capt. Jack Ross in the film. He also mentioned that This Is Spinal Tap is his favorite movie. “The making of that movie was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had on a set,” he explained. “He was so fun. It really comes down from the top, you know? You can set a tone where people feel like we are working hard but also working hard in a safe and pleasant and fun situation.”
He continued, “You know, we had lunch together every day. I’ve never done that with a director before or since, I’d never gone to have lunch. And Michele would be there, and the two of them were so great together. Kyra would come by, she was pregnant, and bring Travis. It was a magical time. So I’m just sending love to everybody that knew him because I know that everyone’s hurting today.”
A joint statement from several of Reiner and Singer’s close friends, including Billy Crystal, 77, Martin Short, 75, and Larry David, 78, was released to the Associated Press. “Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master story teller,” the statement reads. “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.” Toward the end of the statement, they also said Reiner was “a passionate, brave citizen” who “did everything he could to make it better and with his loving wife Michele.”
Actor Ben Stiller, 60, started his tribute by saying “what a huge loss” the world has suffered. “Rob Reiner was one of my favorite directors,” Stiller said on X. “He made some of the most formative movies for my generation. He came out from behind a huge comedic shadow of the great Carl Reiner and being a tv actor to being a great director who made an incredible run of movies.”
Stiller also wrote that the 1984 iconic musical satire This Is Spinal Tap is “one of the best comedies ever made.”
“He was a kind caring person who was really really funny,” he said. “I didn’t know him well but was always a fan and I feel a real sadness for those who did, and his family.”
Actor Jamie Lee Curtis, 67, and her husband, actor Christopher Guest, 77, who also starred in This Is Spinal Tap, released a joint statement on the passing of Reiner and Singer. “Christopher and I are 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,” the statement reads. “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.”
Director Ron Howard, 71, said on X that his career often intersected with Reiner’s “over the decades.… He proved to be a superlative filmmaker, a supportive colleague and at all times a dedicated citizen,” Howard wrote. “Rob will be missed on so many levels. My heart goes out to his family and his many close friends.”
