While he is remembered mostly for his movie classics like This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, A Few Good Men and The American President, Rob Reiner also was largely responsible for a TV classic, the 1989 NBC comedy series Seinfeld.
A day after Hollywood — and the world — were shocked by the senseless murder of Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner, Seinfeld co-creator, star and executive producer Jerry Seinfeld paid tribute to the show’s backer and champion.
“Next to Larry David and George Shapiro, Rob Reiner had the biggest influence on my career,” Seinfeld wrote in an Instagram post, referencing his Seinfeld co-creator/executive producer David and his longtime manager Shapiro who also executive produced the sitcom.
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“Our show would have never happened without him,” Seinfeld said of Reiner. “He saw something no one else could. When nobody at the network liked the early episodes, he saved us from cancellation.”
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The then-recently launched Castle Rock Entertainment, co-founded by Reiner, teamed with Seinfeld and David for a multi-camera comedy series, which got an NBC pilot order. The fight to save the show after an abysmal pilot testing is part of TV lore, with Reiner accepting a four-episode Season 1 pickup to keep it going.
The little “show about nothing” went on to define the 1990s.
“That I was working with Carl Reiner’s son, who happened to be one of the kindest people in show business, seemed unreal,” Seinfeld added. “I was naive at the time to how much his passion for us meant.”
Seinfeld also remembered Reiner’s wife Michele.
“Rob and Michele married right as our show was starting and they became an imprint for me of how it’s supposed to work, each one broadening the other,” he wrote. “Their death, together, is impossibly sad.”
David, a longtime close friend of Reiner’s, was seen outside of the director’s house shortly after the news of the Reiners’ death broke.
Just think of all of the people who went on their first date to see one of Rob Reiner’s BIG movies? Or, grew up with “All in the Family.” This is how I choose to remember him. Sorry for your loss. May everyone who is involved find Peace.