Princess Bride star Cary Elwes took to social media today to pay tribute to the late director Rob Reiner and wife Michelle Raynerboth of which were presumably killed by their son Nick Rayner previously this month.
“Enough time has passed for me to finally be able to put my grief into words. I was 24 when I first met Rob Reiner on Princess Bride. And from that very first meeting I fell in love with him. I was already a fan of his work, so meeting him in person was a dream. When we started spending more time together, I realized that this is who I want in my life. I also knew that by casting me as Westley, he was giving me the keys to the castle,” he began.
Elwes, joined by his colleagues sharing a touching tribute to the director shortly after his deathcontinued, “The first thing I noticed about Rob was that he wore his heart on his sleeve. He was a man who felt deeply. Whose heart was filled with love and compassion.”
“He used to say, ‘Once the film is released, other people will own it. But while you're filming it, it's your time on the planet, so you want to make it good.” And damn, I spent time with him. Princess Bride just great,” the actor added. “I can’t remember a single day without laughing. A film about love, loyalty and sacrifice. Things that Rob cared about. And that's one of the many reasons why he was the perfect director.”
Elsewhere in the post (below), Elwes praised the couple's dedication to philanthropy and “helping those who were marginalized. In a town where a lot of people say what they say, they really walked that path. Whenever we got together, we talked about family, life, movies and politics. But Rob always found a way to make us laugh. That was important to him. Finding joy.”
He concluded with a post featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the 1987 romantic adventure comedy and an anniversary conversation between himself, director Rob Reiner and co-star Robin Wright: “And if I could make him laugh back, I'd feel like I'd won the lottery. His laugh was one of the greatest sounds I've ever known – so genuine that it still rings in my ears to this day. Thank you, Rob and Michelle, for sharing your life and art with us. Because my heart still hurts every time I think about you, I know that the grief of losing too soon will most likely never go away. Of course, death cannot stop true love, but without you, life is pain ⚔️💔.”
