Ivan Reitman’s death rattled many in Hollywood, as the filmmaker had just recently celebrated Ghostbusters’ return to prominence due to Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s successful run. He died unexpectedly at age 75. After hearing the devastating news, tributes began flooding in as stars and filmmakers recount stories of working with or knowing Reitman. Among them is Kindergarten Cop star Arnold Schwarzenegger. The pair worked together on multiple comedies during the 1980s and 1990s, so it was only right that Schwarzenegger got the chance to reminisce and mourn the filmmaker.
Ivan Reitman had directed the Terminator star in classic comedies like Kindergarten Cop and Twins. Arnold Schwarzenegger was devastated by the loss of his dear friend and frequent collaborator, as he penned a heartfelt note to express his condolences. He took to Twitter to tell the world what kind of man Reitman was:
In life, he was am mensch – a wonderful father and husband, a fantastic friend, a great human being. He was kind, he was generous, he was smart as hell, and he was always there for you.
It appeared the Twins actor got the chance to witness the man behind the classic comedies over their years of collaboration. Arnold Schwarzenegger continued to sing the Stripes director’s praises, as he recalled Ivan Reitman helping him to get beyond the action genre and into comedies:
If you knew him, Ivan had a way of making himself part of your story, and he certainly wrote a chunk of mine. I’ll always be grateful that he took a chance on this Austrian action-hero in a comedy during a time when the studios just wanted me to focus on finding new ways to kill bad guys, blow things up, and show off some muscles. I knew I could make it in comedy, but I needed someone else to know it to make it a reality. That’s why Ivan was a great director and friend: he could see something in you that other people didn’t, and he could help you show the rest of the world.
Working with Ivan Reitman helped Arnold Schwarzenegger to show Hollywood he was more than just a brawny action star. At the time, the frequent collaborators were working on the Twins sequel Triplets with Danny DeVito and long-lost brother Tracy Morgan. Seemingly distraught over the news, Schwarzenegger gained a moment of clarity as he spoke about the effect Reitman had on others:
I can’t believe I won’t work with him again or hang out with him again or just schmooze about life again. But I also know that Ivan isn’t gone, he’s still with us. He’s here, in so many pages of my story. and if you were ever lucky enough to meet him, or just experience his work, he’s part of your story, too.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has his memories of Ivan Reitman to live with him despite the director no longer being here physically. To see the full tribute including photos of the two men, check out Arnold Schwarzenegger’s post below.
Thanks for everything, Ivan. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/lEBmGB9eueFebruary 14, 2022
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s touching post was just the latest one paying to the late Meatballs director. Many stars from the Ghostbusters films, including Ernie Hudson and Carrie Coon, posted moving tributes to Reitman. Directors Todd Phillips, Phil Lord and Paul Feig (the latter of whom directed 2016's out-of-continuity Ghostbusters that was left out of the franchise box set) spoke on how supportive he was of their filmmaking careers.
Given how important and influential Ivan Reitman was, there are bound to be more tributes popping up online. His impact won’t be forgotten any time soon.
