“What happened to Rob and Michele is an obscenity, an abyss in lived reality,” Scorsese wrote. “From now on, I’ll have to use the past tense, and that fills me with such profound sadness.”
Scorsese described Rob Reiner as both a dear friend and a creative kindred spirit. Reiner, the son of comedy legends Carl and Estelle Reiner, came from what Scorsese called “New York show business royalty.” The two first became close in the early 1970s in Los Angeles, often spending time together at social gatherings hosted by comedian George Memmoli.
“Right away, I loved hanging out with Rob,” Scorsese recalled. “He was hilarious and sometimes bitingly funny, but he never took over the room. He had a beautiful sense of freedom and a great, barreling laugh.”
Scorsese praised Reiner’s work as a filmmaker, singling out Misery as his personal favorite and calling This Is Spinal Tap “in a class of its own.” Their professional paths also crossed on screen when Reiner appeared in Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, playing the father of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character. Scorsese said the performance moved him deeply for its warmth and emotional openness.
“I was moved when we shot it, moved again in the edit, and moved watching the finished film,” Scorsese wrote. “Now, it breaks my heart to even think of the tenderness of Rob’s performance.”
The essay ends with a heartfelt wish that captures the depth of Scorsese’s loss. He imagines a future dinner or party where he might once again sit beside Rob Reiner, hear his laugh, and enjoy his stories — feeling lucky all over again to call him a friend.
Rob and Michele Reiner, who were 78 and 70, are survived by their children Nick, Jake, and Romy. Rob was also the father of Tracy from his first marriage to Penny Marshall. Their son Nick Reiner, 32, has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He appeared in court on Dec. 17 wearing an anti-suicide smock and shackles, while his attorney, Alan Jackson, declined to enter a plea. His arraignment is set to continue on Jan. 7.
In the days since the tragedy, many of Rob Reiner’s friends and collaborators from across Hollywood — including Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Guest, Billy Crystal, Albert Brooks, Kathy Bates, and others — have shared tributes honoring his life, humor, and lasting impact on film and comedy.
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