Carl Reiner, Comedy Legend In Film And TV, Dies At 98
Ron Dicker
Updated ·2 min read
Comedy icon Carl Reiner, a prolific writer, producer, director and actor, died Monday at age 98.
The “Dick Van Dyke Show” creator and “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise regular died of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills, California, his assistant told Variety.
His family was with him when he died, according to TMZ. His son, director Rob Reiner, tweeted Tuesday morning that his “heart is hurting.”
Last night my dad passed away. As I write this my heart is hurting. He was my guiding light.
Carl Reiner himself appeared to be tweeting up until his death. His account posted a shoutout to Noel Coward on Monday evening and, earlier, a dig at President Donald Trump, a frequent target of Reiner’s wit. In 2018, he wrote that he hoped to “hang around” so he could vote to get Trump out of office.
Reiner, who won nine Emmys over more than seven decades in show business, had hundreds of credits. He directed hit films such as “Oh, God!” (1977) with George Burns and several movies with Steve Martin, including “The Jerk” in 1979 and “All of Me” in 1984.
Reiner stayed active in show business late into his life. He appeared in the remake of the heist comedy “Ocean’s Eleven” in 2001, as well as two sequels, and had recurring roles on the sitcoms “Two and a Half Men” and “Hot in Cleveland.”
Reiner, who was also known for his comedy partnership with Mel Brooks that included their “2,000 Year Old Man” routine, worked his way up the entertainment ladder in TV’s golden age. He appeared on Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows” (1950-54) and later mined his experience to create “The Dick Van Dyke Show” (1961-66), in which he also guest-starred.
Reiner’s wife Estelle — who famously says “I’ll have what she’s having” in “When Harry Met Sally,” which was directed by Rob Reiner — died in 2008. He is survived by three children: Rob, Annie and Lucas Reiner.
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