Hollywood Remembers the ‘Brilliant and Kind’ Rob Reiner

Renowned cultural figures from Hollywood and beyond are paying tribute to director Rob Reiner, who was killed with his wife on December 14 in an apparent homicide. After Reiner’s death, his friends Larry David and Billy Crystal were seen at his home, per People, with Crystal looking on the edge of tears.

Reiner began his career acting on the sitcom All in the Family, created by Norman Lear, who died in 2023. “Norman often referred to Rob as a son, and their close relationship was extraordinary, to us and the world,” his family said in a statement, per The Hollywood Reporter. “Norman would have wanted to remind us that Rob and Michele spent every breath trying to make this country a better place, and they pursued that through their art, their activism, their philanthropy, and their love for family and friends.”

Maria Shriver, a close family friend, said she was “devastated, gutted, shocked, stunned, and so deeply saddened” by the news, adding that she had just had dinner with the couple last week. “I loved them, and I knew they loved me, for any friend like that is such a gift. They gave me and all their friends that gift all the time. They loved their kids so much, and they never stopped trying to be really good parents,” Shriver wrote.

Kathy Bates, whom Reiner directed to an Oscar for Misery, was “devastated” by the loss, per NBC News. “I loved Rob,” Bates said in a statement. “He was brilliant and kind, a man who made films of every genre to challenge himself as an artist. He also fought courageously for his political beliefs. He changed the course of my life.” Now, people who worked with Reiner and those who were inspired by his films are mourning the loss of the great director.

Below, tributes to the life and career of Rob Reiner from his friends, collaborators, and famous fans.

The actor and politician called Reiner a “rare talent,” following a similar message from his son, Patrick. “He was a creative genius who left us some of the greatest movies of all time, and he was a wonderful friend. My thoughts are with his family,” he concludes.

Deschanel remembered Reiner, who played her father on New Girl, fondly. “My heart is broken. Rob Reiner was the absolute warmest, funniest, most generous of spirits,” she wrote on Instagram on December 15. “A truly good human being. An incredible artist and such a playful and fun collaborator. I cherish the time we spent working together and the many films he made that have shaped who I am.”

Reba remembered the filmmaker, who directed her in the 1994 film North, in a post on X. She writes, “I enjoyed every minute I was around Rob Reiner. He was one of a kind. I got to work with him on the movie North and he also helped us with our ending of my video, ‘Does He Love You.’ I sure will miss him. What a gift he was to this world. Rest in peace, my friend.”

The country singer paid tribute to the late couple, sharing she was “shocked and saddened” by the tragedy.

The Frankenstein director praised not only Reiner’s work, but his character off set, calling him “vital and honest.”

The Academy paid tribute to the late director, praising his work from his first film, This Is Spinal Tap, to his Oscar-nominated film A Few Good Men.

Shriver shared a sentimental message for the couple, remembering how they raised their children together and still remained good friends over the years. “We had dinner this past week, and they were in the best place in their lives: loving one another, loving their friends, their family, their country. They never gave up on our country. They wanted to make it better,” she explained.

The Project Hail Mary co-director celebrated Reiner’s diverse filmography as “iconic all-time classics.”

Reiner was a staunch Democrat who supported Obama’s presidential campaigns. “Beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people — and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action,” the former president wrote of Reiner.

Reiner, who endorsed Biden in the 2020 election, was a fierce supporter of the Democratic Party. “I think that if he becomes president, on day one, America will be brought back to where it belongs in the world,” Reiner said in 2019 to The Blast. Biden reflected on Reiner’s lasting contributions to culture, “We take solace in knowing their work will live on for generations to come.”

Curtis released a statement on behalf of herself and her husband, Christopher Guest, who collaborated with Reiner multiple times, including on the film This Is Spinal Tap, which Guest co-wrote and starred in. “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,” she wrote, per Deadline. “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.”

Legendary English comedian Eric Idle, an original member of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, mentioned that he’d spoken with Reiner just the night before.

“What a huge loss,” Stiller, a documented fan, wrote on X. “Rob Reiner was one of my favorite directors. He made some of the most formative movies for my generation. He came out form behind a huge comedic shadow of the great Carl Reiner and being a tv actor to being a a great director who made an incredible run of movies. Spinal Tap is one of the best comedies ever made — and the list goes on. He was a kind caring person who was really really funny. I didn’t know him well but was always a fan and I feel a real sadness for those who did, and his family.”

King called Reiner a “Wonderful friend, political ally, and brilliant filmmaker (including 2 of mine).” Stand by Me, one of Reiner’s most popular films, is an adaptation of Stephen King’s book The Body. Reiner also directed the 1990 King adaptation Misery.

Reiner spent time and effort focusing his political activism on his home state of California, where Newsom is the current governor. “Rob was a passionate advocate for children and for civil rights — from taking on Big Tobacco, fighting for marriage equality, to serving as a powerful voice in early education,” Newsom wrote. “He made California a better place through his good works.”

Pelosi and Reiner worked together on liberal agendas throughout his life, and he endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 election. “It’s hard to think of anyone more remarkable and excellent in every field and endeavor they pursued,” Pelosi said in her tribute. “Rob was creative, funny, and beloved.”

Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, knew Reiner personally. “This is a devastating loss for our city and our country,” she said in a post. “Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice.”

Barr and Reiner were both worked in mainstream Hollywood comedies in the ’80s. Barr later described getting into a fight with Reiner over politics and telling him, “You’re buying fake news.” She mourned Reiner on X, and prayed for “swift justice.”

Ron Howard and Reiner both made the transition from acting to directing during their careers, and, in Howard’s words, “intersected often.” Howard complimented Reiner, saying he was a “superlative filmmaker, a supportive colleague and at all times a dedicated citizen.”

Actress Ming-Na Wen recalled Reiner’s “class & kindness” when they worked together on a reading of the Declaration of Independence, and called his death a “huge loss.”

Actor and screenwriter John Cusack had his breakout performance in Reiner’s 1985 teen comedy The Sure Thing. He went on to play Denny Lachance in Stand by Me. In his brief post, Cusack said he was “shocked” and called Reiner “a great man.”

Director Paul Feig is a progeny of Reiner’s comedic legacy, and he moderated a Q&A with Reiner about Spinal Tap II: The End on October 20, 2025. “I just want the world to know what so many of us know in the industry,” Feig wrote. “Rob was the best.”

Feig had also invited him as a guest to the premiere of his latest film, The Housemaid.

Feldman, who is perhaps best known for starring as Teddy Duchamp in Reiner’s Stand by Me, wrote on X that he is “shocked & saddened” by Reiner’s death. He added, in all caps, “U will B 4ever missed.”

Wood, who starred in Reiner’s 1994 film North as the titular character, opposite Jon Lovitz and Bruce Willis, said he was “horrified” by Reiner’s death.

Comedian Dane Cook and Reiner never worked together, but in his tribute, Cook wrote that he was “broken hearted to hear the news.”

Scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson shared a selfie of himself with Reiner, with whom he appeared on a 2021 episode of Real Time with Bill Maher. Tyson called Reiner’s death especially “devastating” because he cared so “deeply about humanitarian causes.”

Josh Gad and Reiner once acted together in a spoof on The Princess Bride, in which Reiner read Gad’s comic book The Writer as a bedtime story. “He cared so much for those who had no voices,” Gad said in a tribute. “This loss is devastating. I cannot express how much this hurts.”

Comedian and actor Kevin Nealon wrote that Reiner’s films were simply “part of the air for us.”

This is a developing story.