Legendary Comedy Writer and Actor Carl Reiner Passes Away At 98

Carl Reiner, who spent more than seven decades entertaining people through his writing, producing, directing and acting in movies and classic television, has passed away at the age of 98.

Carl Reiner — Losing A Legend

The news was first reported by TMZ. This reporter once had the pleasure of interviewing Reiner approximately 10 years ago, and he revealed his secret to being funny.

“When I was young we listened to comedy on the radio and went to the movies to see the Marx brothers. Laughter was an important thing,” he said. “Being funny is a natural thing. It’s environmental first and developed through the people who you read or you hear, and I have a comic bent and I do curve things when something comes at me.”

Reiner, who was born on March 20, 1922 in The Bronx, started his career as a novelist, writing Enter Laughing, which would go on to become both a movie and Broadway play. At the advice of his wife, Stella, he started penning TV scripts and came up with an autobiographical comedy that eventually became The Dick Van Dyke Show. He joked that they “found a better actor” to play him, while he went on to play temperamental comedian Alan Brady instead.

Reiner, who was quite prolific on Twitter over the year, paid tribute to his family, which includes son Rob Reiner, in what was one of his last Tweets: “Nothing pleases me more than knowing that I have lived the best life possible by having met & marrying the gifted Estelle (Stella) Lebost—who partnered with me in bringing Rob, Annie and Lucas Reiner into to this needy and evolving world,” he wrote.

Rob Reiner shared a Tweet as well upon the death of his legendary dad. “Last night my dad passed away. As I write this my heart is hurting. He was my guiding light.”

The elder Reiner first gained prominence as a cast member of Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows, for which he won two Emmys and continued in the biz as a writer, director, and actor into his 90s. Beloved by young and old alike, over the decades, he’s appeared in the trio of Ocean’s Eleven films, voiced a role in Toy Story 4, and received the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor back in 2000.

The MeTV Network will celebrate his life with a special, month-long presentation of his favorite episodes of 15-time Emmy award-winning sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show. The tribute begins this Sunday, July 5 at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT and will air every Sunday night through July 26 on MeTV.

Also, The DECADES Network will also celebrate his legacy with a special weekend binge of The Dick Van Dyke Show as well. Their tribute begins Friday, July 10 at 9p ET with an episode of The Dick Cavett Show, featuring Carl Reiner. Entertainment Hub sends condolences to Carl Reiner’s family, friends, and fans.