Jerry Seinfeld has paid tribute to Rob Reiner, describing the director and producer as the man without whom the classic sitcom Seinfeld “would have never happened.” The comedian’s remarks come a day after Reiner and his wife Michele were murdered, shocking Hollywood and the wider world.
Reiner, best known for directing films such as This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, and When Harry Met Sally, was also a pivotal figure in television. His recently launched Castle Rock Entertainment teamed with Seinfeld and Larry David to create the NBC comedy series Seinfeld, which went on to define the 1990s.
Writing on Instagram, Seinfeld said: “Next to Larry David and George Shapiro, Rob Reiner had the biggest influence on my career. Our show would have never happened without him. He saw something no one else could. When nobody at the network liked the early episodes, he saved us from cancellation.” Reiner accepted a four-episode first-season order after a poorly received pilot, a decision that became part of television lore.
Seinfeld also recalled the personal connection: “That I was working with Carl Reiner’s son, who happened to be one of the kindest people in show business, seemed unreal.” He added that Rob and Michele married as Seinfeld was starting, and “became an imprint for me of how it’s supposed to work.” Describing their deaths as “impossibly sad,” Seinfeld joined many in mourning a figure who shaped comedy across film and TV.
