Hollywood is in mourning after the shocking murder of legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, with actor Mandy Patinkin delivering an intensely emotional tribute in a recently aired CBS News special.
An 'Inconceivable' Tragedy: Patinkin's Raw Grief
The special, titled Scenes from a Life, aired on Sunday, just one week after the beloved director and his spouse were found slain at their $13.5 million Brentwood mansion. Patinkin, 73, known for his role in Homeland, became visibly overwhelmed as he recalled the moment he heard the news.
'I heard this news at about 11-something on Sunday night. I was in bed. I was in shock,' the Tony winner recounted. 'I didn't sleep at all. I just kept wailing and crying. I didn't know how to process it. I still don't know how to process it.'
Patinkin's profound connection to Reiner stemmed from being directed by him in what he calls his 'favourite' role: the vengeful Spanish swordsman Inigo Montoya in the 1987 classic The Princess Bride. He remembered telling Reiner after an early screening, 'I never dreamed I would get to be in something like this... I didn't even have time to dream, and he made that dream for me.'
A Mentor's Legacy and a Family's Anguish
Beyond their professional bond, Patinkin revealed Reiner was a personal mentor. 'Rob worked hard to try to get me to be the best human being I could be,' he shared, recalling Reiner once telling him, 'I just wish you could get out of your own way.' Patinkin added, 'He cared about my nature. He showed it to me over and over again.'
The tragedy is compounded by the arrest of the couple's 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner. He is being held without bail at LA's Twin Towers Jail on two counts of first-degree murder, with an arraignment scheduled for January 7. Reports indicate the Reiners had struggled for years to get help for their son's mental illness and substance abuse, which allegedly led to 17 rehab stints.
The couple, married for 36 years, are survived by their other children, 34-year-old Jake and 27-year-old Romy, who said in a statement: 'The horrific and devastating loss of our parents... is something that no one should ever experience. They weren't just our parents; they were our best friends.'
Hollywood Stars Unite in Tribute
The CBS special also featured moving contributions from other Hollywood icons who knew Reiner well. Michael Douglas, whom Reiner directed in The American President (1995), connected the tragedy to Reiner's private struggles as a parent, drawing parallels with his own son Cameron's past drug issues.
'With this terrible tragedy we're realizing how much pressure he was dealing with in his personal life with his son,' the 81-year-old Oscar winner explained. 'So knowing with all of that going on behind the scenes, this was a man who always gave you his best.'
Comedian Albert Brooks, who called Reiner his 'oldest friend,' admitted he is 'still in that not believing it stage' of grief. He poignantly quoted from Reiner's favourite film, It's a Wonderful Life: 'Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?'
The special, now streaming on YouTube, also included memories from Kathy Bates, Annette Bening, Jerry O'Connell, and Kiefer Sutherland. The tributes extended to Saturday Night Live, which honoured Reiner by flashing a picture of him from his 1975 hosting stint.
Reiner's prolific career, which began with playing 'Meathead' on All in the Family, included directing era-defining films like Stand by Me, When Harry Met Sally, and A Few Good Men. His final project, Spinal Tap at Stonehenge: The Final Finale, is scheduled for release next year.
