Jerry Seinfeld reveals how Rob Reiner saved ‘Seinfeld’ in heartfelt tribute
Jerry Seinfeld has honoured the late Rob Reiner, thanking him for his role in making Seinfeld a beloved sitcom.
Reiner and his wife, Michele, died on December 14th at their family home in Brentwood, Los Angeles. The couple’s son, Nick Reiner, has since been arrested in connection with their deaths. His bail has been set at $4 million.
Following the news of Reiner’s death, the entertainment world has been united in grief for the late filmmaker with emotional tributes flooding in from Barack Obama to Paul McCartney.
Now, Seinfeld has taken to Instagram to explain how Reiner fought his corner when he needed it most during the early days of his show.
The sitcom was produced by Reiner’s company, Castle Rock Entertainment, and despite NBC’s reluctance to back the show, Castle Rock gave Seinfeld its full support, which was necessary for it to make it to the air.
A pilot for the series was received poorly by test audiences, and also wasn’t rated by executives, but upon being shown on TV, it did surprisingly well with viewers. This led to four further episodes being greenlit, which led to it becoming a cultural phenomenon.
The comic wrote on Instagram, “Next to Larry David and George Shapiro, Rob Reiner had the biggest influence on my career. Our show would have never happened without him. He saw something no one else could.”
Seinfeld continued, “When nobody at the network liked the early episodes, he saved us from cancellation. That I was working with Carl Reiner’s son, who happened to be one of the kindest people in show business, seemed unreal. I was naive at the time to how much his passion for us meant.”
He finished by paying homage to Rob and Michele’s marriage, adding, “Rob and Michele married right as our show was starting and they became an imprint for me of how it’s supposed to work, each one broadening the other. Their death, together, is impossibly sad.”
On December 15th, Rob and Michele’s deaths were announced by their wider family in a heartbreaking statement, which reads, “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner.”
They added: “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.