Rob Reiner’s friends, including Larry David, Billy Crystal and Martin Short, publish open letter mourning director
Rob Reiner’s friends, including Larry David, Billy Crystal, and Martin Short, have published an open letter expressing their grief for the director after his untimely death.
On December 14th, the famed director and his wife, Michele, were found stabbed to death in their home in Brentwood, Los Angeles.
Reiner’s son, Nick Reiner, has since been charged with the murder of his father and mother. If he’s found guilty, he could be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
As per The Guardian, Reiner’s friends have released a letter to the Associated Press. Signees include Billy and Janice Crystal; Albert and Kimberly Brooks; Martin Short; Alan Zweibel and his wife, Robin; Larry David and his wife, the film producer Ashley Underwood; composer Marc Shaiman and his husband, Lou Mirabal; director Barry Levinson and his wife, Diana; and the former US ambassador to Spain James Costos and his partner, Michael Smith.
Local media have reported that Crystal and David were at the scene of the crime after reports of the murder first emerged.
In the letter, the group reflects on the importance of movie-going and storytelling for the human condition, a skill which Reiner was a “master” of. The group writes eloquently, “his greatest gift was freedom.”
The statement also pays tribute to Michele; the pair were “strong and determined” and “devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens”.
Read the letter in full below.
“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. 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.
“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 filmmaker was a privilege, but that is only part of his legacy.
“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.”
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