Comedian and actor Albert Brooks said he is still in shock over the death of one of his oldest and best friends, Rob Reiner.
“Rob was my oldest friend. It's that simple. This is the person I've known the longest. I met him when I was 14 years old. So I'm still in a stage of disbelief about it,” he told CBS News in an upcoming special. “CBS News: Rob Reiner – Scenes from a Life” will air on Sunday. Brooks and Reiner met in Beverly Hills High School in drama class 60 years ago.
Rainer and his wife Michelle. were found mortally wounded at his Los Angeles home on Dec. 14, authorities said. Their son Nick was charged with first degree murder in their death.
Brooks said there are times when he forgets his friend is gone.
“I know it happened, but, you know, I was driving around the neighborhood and suddenly – I actually called his number two days ago,” he recalls.
Brooks and Reiner returned to their high school, reminiscing about their time together touring the school's Wall of Fame during an interview on CBS Sunday Morning in December 2023.
“We're both back here for the first time since we graduated,” Reiner said. Brooks joked: “At a certain age it’s illegal. Well, life works best when you remember.”
As they pointed to the bench they used to sit on, Reiner joked, “It doesn't bring back any memories,” to which Brooks agreed, “Nothing. Nothing”.
Reiner directed the HBO documentary Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, released in 2023. Before this, the couple only starred together in one film, “Muse,” in 1999. “He hired me. He was kind enough to hire me,” Reiner said. “I was,” Brooks responded.
You can hear more from Brooks and others who knew Reiner in the one-hour special “CBS News: Rob Reiner – Scenes from a Life.” It will air Sunday at 8:30 PM ET/8:00 PM PT on CBS. streaming on Paramount+.
