This morning, the world was informed that comedy legend Carl Reiner had passed away in his home last night, at the age of 98. Leaving behind a loving family, and scores of gracious fans and colleagues, the reactions were bound to be emotional tributes to the man, as well as his career as an ace jokester throughout all stripes of entertainment. This afternoon, a lot of those comments have been seen popping up left and right, and they’re as heartfelt as you’d hope for someone as iconic as Reiner.
Deadline corralled some of the reactions that have been pouring in from friends and collaborators alike. Among them were reactions from people like George Clooney, who starred with Reiner in Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven trilogy. When commenting on his former co-star, Clooney recounted his legacy as follows:
Carl Reiner made every room he walked into funnier, smarter, kinder. It all seemed so effortless. What an incredible gift he gave us all. His was a life well lived and we’re all the better for it. Rest in peace my friend.
Another reaction came from actor Bette Midler, who starred in Carl Reiner’s final film as a director, That Old Feeling, alongside actor Dennis Farina back in 1997. Ms. Midler’s remembrance of Reiner was warm and reverent, recalling their time on that particular film, as well as a particularly noteworthy lunch she’d attended:
One of the most frequent figures to work with Carl Reiner throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, fellow comedy powerhouse Steve Martin made classics like The Jerk, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, The Man with Two Brains, and All of Me, all under the watchful directing eye of the elder Reiner. A short, but sweet, remembrance, Martin delivered the following message:
It wasn’t just those that worked with Carl Reiner that weighed in with their memories, as Finding Dory and The Secret Life of Pets star/comedy ace Albert Brooks fondly remembered Reiner in a more personal context:
Also providing commentary from a tangential personal relationship was Star Trek’s William Shatner. Co-stars for an episode of the hit legal dramedy Boston Legal, Shatner did get to work with Carl Reiner, and it left the following impression on him:
Of course, Carl Reiner’s death is a passing that will hit some harder than others. And one of the people it’s undoubtedly going to hit is his best friend and collaborator, Mel Brooks. Late this afternoon, Brooks took to his own Twitter account, and shared an extended message recalling how they met, and how they stuck together, after working in the writer’s room of Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows:
Naturally, upon the passing of his father, actor/writer/director Rob Reiner had his own piece of heartbreak to send out into the world. Known for such films as Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, and The American President, he took after his father Carl’s ability to spin plates on several different ends, and keep the audience laughing while he did. His tweet ran as follows:
Perhaps the most fitting tweet dealing with Carl Reiner’s passing is one that came from the man himself. Just days ago, Reiner tweeted the following message that many have been sharing throughout Twitter, as if it were meant to be used for that very purpose.
Expert comedians always know when their exit’s up, and Carl Reiner was no exception. The man gave the world so many laughs, and as you see in the messages above, the memories of those antics will live on through those he worked with and knew personally. What a legacy he leaves behind.
