Close friends of Rob and Michele Reiner release statement on their lives and work

Close friends of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, released a joint statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday reflecting on their lives and work following their deaths. The statement was signed by Billy and Janice Crystal, Albert and Kimberly Brooks, Martin Short, Alan and Robin Zweibel, Larry David and Ashley Underwood, Marc Shaiman and Lou Mirabal, Barry and Diana Levinson, and Ambassador James Costos and Michael Smith.

Among the themes, the message lauds Rob Reiner as a master storyteller who absorbed lessons from his father Carl Reiner and his mentor Norman Lear. It notes that he was not only a great comic actor but a director with a wide range—from comedy to drama to mockumentary to documentary—and that he was always at the top of his game. Audiences trusted him, lined up to see his films, and he gave freedom to actors and writers, inviting collaboration and treating them as partners in the process.

The statement also celebrates Michele Reiner as a passionate, brave citizen who, with Rob, devoted much of their lives to the betterment of their fellow citizens. They described the couple as a dynamic, unselfish, inspiring force—a partnership that combined creative work with public service.

It continued with a note that the friends were honored to know them and would miss them, describing their shared life as a model of collaboration and leadership. The signatories emphasized that Rob and Michele’s legacy would endure in the lives they touched and in the culture they helped shape, quoting Rob’s favorite film as a closing reminder of their impact.

Going to the movies in a dark theater filled with strangers having a common experience, laughing, crying, screaming in fear, or watching an intense drama unfold is still an unforgettable thrill. Tell us a story audiences demand of us. Absorbing all he had learned from his father Carl and his mentor Norman Lear, Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master story teller. There is no other director who has his range. From comedy to drama to ‘mockumentary’ to documentary he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films. Popular Reads “His comedic touch was beyond compare, his love of getting the music of the dialogue just right, and his sharpening of the edge of a drama was simply elegant. For the actors, he loved them. For the writers he made them better. His greatest gift was freedom. If you had an idea, he listened, he brought you into the process. They always felt they were working as a team. To be in his hands as a film maker was a privilege but that is only part of his legacy. “Rob was also a passionate, brave citizen, who not only cared for this country he loved, he did everything he could to make it better and with his loving wife Michele, he had the perfect partner. Strong and determined, Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens... They were a special force together-dynamic, unselfish and inspiring. We were their friends, and we will miss them forever. “There is a line from one of Rob’s favorite films, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ ‘Each man’s life touches so many other lives, and when he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?’ You have no idea.”